What Hides In The Shadows
by JMDeaton
Summary: Clary hates Halloween, and for good reason. When Isabelle talks her into going out Trick-or-Treating with Max, Alec, and Jace, Clary gets the feeling that she is being watched, but by who? Could it have something to do with Jace? He is keeping quiet about something after all.
1. Getting Ready For Halloween

**Okay, so this started off as a one-shot that I was going to post on Halloween, however I did not get around to it obviously; I have six kids and a life, so sue me. I also decided that it will not be just a one-shot, so I split it in half and there will be more to come. The rating may change later on due to that. We'll see.**

 **Now with that said, I'd just like to say:**

 **1\. I do not own The Mortal Instruments, but I do own this story.**

 **2\. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

My best friend, Isabelle Lightwood, is one of the most beautiful creatures I've ever known; with her long, jet black hair, her beautiful chocolate brown eyes, her full figured curves, and her long, slender yet muscular body, she's a total knock out. She has always loved things that match her beauty, so I don't understand this obsession she has with Halloween. I, personally, can't stand the holiday any longer.

"Hurry up, Clary!" She calls from down the hall of our shared apartment. "I told mom that we'd pick Max up at seven."

I slide on the skirt that she insisted I wear tonight, and zip up the back. "I'm hurrying." I say exasperatedly from my room. "Keep your pants on."

I knew we should've started getting ready sooner, instead of last minute 'costume' shopping. But Izzy would just not accept the fact that I was going to wear jeans and a t-shirt this year.

I pull on the black, open-toed ankle boots, and walk out into the hall, making my way to our living room.

"Look at you," Izzy gushes, getting my attention. She's wearing a red, leather mini dress, red heels, and a devil horns headband. "Sexy momma! You're definitely, definitely going to be turning heads tonight."

I can feel the heat rise up in my cheeks, as I blush and open the coat closet door. I give myself a once over in the full length mirror that hangs on the door. To me, I don't even look like me. My long, red hair, that is usually curly, is pulled back in waterfall braids, my green eyes stand out even more with the black, smokey eye look, my lips are a crimson red, and my freckled body now has sparkles all over it. All of which Izzy did. My curves, that I have very minimal of, stand out in the red satin with black lace, boned gothic corset and the black, leather mini-skirt. My legs give the illusion that they are longer than what they really are between the boots and skirt.

I turn to look at Izzy. "I look like... like a prostitute."

She laughs. "No, you don't."

"Yes, I do." I spread my arms out wide, "I mean, seriously, look at me."

"I am looking at you," she says, and I roll my eyes dramatically at her. She smiles. "Fine, then you look like a classy prostitute." She teases, while handing me the vampire teeth that I'm suppose to wear, and I laugh. "Can we go now?"

"Sure, why not."

* * *

Before we could make it to the Lightwood's house to get Max, Maryse called. She said, she had an overly anxious trick-or-treator so she had Alec take him to get started. Izzy then called him to find out where they were, so that we could relieve him and he could do whatever it was he had planned for tonight.

Knowing him though, it is probably watching the scare-fest marathon. He's always been like that. But back in the day, Izzy and I use to get him to go out to Halloween parties with us. However, that was before I changed and became pretty much a loner, so there will be no partying this year, at least not for me. I mean, I _really_ hate Halloween, so why should I celebrate it.

Izzy says that I shouldn't blame the holiday, but I can't help it. Last Halloween, when Izzy, Alec, and I made it to Aline's party, I caught my boyfriend - at the time - Sebastian, cheating on me with one of our supposed friends, Seelie. And when I say cheating, I don't mean making out. Oh no, they were full fledge fucking. The next thing I knew, I was being pulled off of a naked Seelie, and my hands and her face were bloody. I never bothered to look back and see by who, I just wanted to get my hands around the bitch's neck and choke the life out of her, but they wouldn't let me as they dragged me out the room and took me directly to Izzy. And to this day, I still don't know who it was. But all that is what changed me, and caused me to retreat into myself.

I use to be confident, and dressed in a way that showed it. - Izzy always said, I was dressed to kill. - I use to have a large group of friends, now I only have Izzy, and Alec. Everybody else became people that I would associate with, and even that is rarely ever. I just can't bring myself to trust people anymore. But who could really blame me. Right?.

Sebastian, my boyfriend of a year, cheated on me; and it turned out that it had been happening for the last four months that we were together. His cousin and my 'friend,' Aline, knew what was going on and helped him hide it. And Seelie - ew, just the thought of her makes my blood boil - was suppose to be my friend, and yet look what she did. Then it turned out that a few others of our group knew what was going on and never said a word, not even to Izzy. I swear, with friends like that, who needs enemies.

I sit back in the passenger seat of Izzy's black, 2005 Malibu, close my eyes, and take a deep breath. _Think happy thoughts_ , I tell myself. And an image of Max flashes behind my eyelids.

"We're here," Izzy says, bringing the car to a stop.

I open my eyes and see that we're at the park, that's five blocks down the road from the Lightwood house, where they are having a little carnival type of thing. I start to scan the area from right to left. There is a pumpkin patch by the merry-go-round, a face painting booth by the swings, a haunted house by the ball field, a kissing booth, a dunking booth - _Really_?! - a table with costume jewelry, a-

Pecking on my window draws my attention away from the scene.

It's Max. He's got a big smile on his face, that is painted white, his black hair is slicked back, and his blue eyes are sparkling with joy. He has fangs in his mouth, and fake blood running down from the corners of his mouth.

"Clary," he says excitedly, and I start to open my door slowly so that he can move without me hitting him. "I'm a vampire."

"I see," I chuckle. I step out the car and shut the door. "Do you know what I am?"

"A witch?" He asks as he hugs me.

"No, I'm a vampire." I say hugging him back.

He pulls back, looking up at me with an ear to ear grin. "Just like me!"

"Yep. Just like-"

"MAX! MAX!" I hear a voice yelling, sounding somewhat worried, and I look up.

"He's over here," Izzy shouts back.

A guy with slicked back golden hair, comes running up to us from our right. He's wearing a long sleeved, black, gothic mesh shirt that allows his very chiseled body to show, and a pair of black, leather pants that have chains hanging from all over them.

He scoops up Max in his arms and hugs him tight. "Don't ever do that to me again," he says slightly out of breath. "I thought somebody had run off with you."

"I would've bit them, if they tried." Max says, and shows off his fangs with a hiss.

"Alright there killer," the blonde laughs, just as Alec comes running up from the left.

Alec is wearing a black t-shirt, and a pair of camouflage cargo pants. His black hair is slicked back, his blue eyes full of worry, and he has a red blob of what looks like lipstick at his left temple.

"Max, I could kill you." He says as he breaths out a sigh of relief. "Don't ever run off like that again."

"But," Max protests. "I seen Izzy and-"

"I don't care who you seen, you _don't_ run off like that." Alec reprimands, cutting of Max's explanation.

"Oh, take it easy on him, Alec." Izzy says sternly. "Gesh, you sound like mom. And if you haven't noticed, he's perfectly fine. It's not like Clary and I were gonna let something happen to him."

"How was we suppose to know that, that's where he went?" Alec rebuttals furiously. "He didn't say anything to Jace. He didn't say anything to me. He just took off."

I look over at Max, who's still in the arms of the guy that I now gather as Jace, and he looks like he is about to cry.

I take a side step over to them, and place my hand on Max's cheek while noticing that this guy, Jace, has golden skin. It must be the lighting, I tell myself before opening my mouth to speak.

"Alright you two, knock it off," I say demandingly as I turn around to look back over in Izzy and Alec's direction. "It's all over with now, and I'm sure that Max isn't going to do it again." I look at Max, and sweetly ask, "Are you?"

Max shakes his head as he says, "No."

"See," I say looking back at the siblings, that look like they are in shock. "Now Alec, if you want to go do whatever it is you planned on doing tonight, go for it. Izzy and I can take it from here."

I turn back to Max and reach out my hand. Him and Jace share a quick hug, and then Jace sets him down while whispering something into his ear and Max nods with a smile.

"Come on," I say as Max takes my hand, and we start to walk towards the little carnival. "Show me what you haven't done yet."

* * *

Max and I are painting pumpkins when somebody runs up behind us and grabs me by the shoulders, causing my paintbrush to go across my pumpkin's face.

"Hey," I yell as I turn around with my fists balled up, ready to fight. I see Izzy as she takes a step back with her hands up in surrender, and I release my fist. "What on earth were you thinking? I could've hit you, you know?"

"I want to talk to you about something," she glances at Max, "in private."

"Okay," I drawl out with my eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. I lean over and whisper in Max's ear that, I'm not going anywhere but I'm going to talk to his sister from right there, and point at her. He nods, and I stand up. Taking a step to close the gap between Izzy and myself I ask, "What's up?"

She smiles at me, and quietly asks, "Where did all that come from earlier?"

"What do you mean?" I ask slightly confused with my eyebrows furrowed together and my nose scrunched up. I know what she's asking about, but I'm not sure what she's getting at with it.

"You were, well... you!" She says, with excitement and hope in her eyes. "Does it mean my real Clary is coming back?"

"Your real Clary, huh?" I ask with an awkward laugh. I know, that she knows, that I've changed, she's only mentioned it about a million times, but what she thinks her real Clary is like puts me at a little unease.

"Yes," she says with certainty and then sighs. "You know, the one that doesn't live inside a shell, that speaks her mind, and is a shooting star."

"I still speak my mind," I argue. I turn my body to look over at Max, so that I can keep a better eye on him. I really don't want him to walk up on our conversation, and overhear us. "And, I was trying to get you two to stop, because Max was on the verge of crying."

"I know," she says dropping her head in shame. She looks back up and smiles knowingly. "Jace said, he thought you were a firecracker."

"Oh, is that so?" I ask completely emotionless. I don't really care what somebody that I don't know, and doesn't even know me, thinks about me.

"Yes, it is. And I think that you should talk to him, he's over by the car."

"Iz, I really don't have the time right now," I say and she raises her eyebrows at me, the disbelief of my reason apparent on her face. "I promised Max that when we were done painting pumpkins, that we'd go trick-or-treating for a little while."

"I'm sure that's the only reason," she says with her lips pooched out and her right hand on her hip.

"I'm done," Max says excitedly, lifting his pumpkin up and over his head. He painted spirals for the eyes, like they are trying to put you in a trance he told me earlier, red circles for the cheeks, and fangs with blood dripping from them as the mouth. "Do you like it?"

"I sure do," Izzy and I say simultaneously.

"It's so scary." Izzy adds. She walks over to him, and squats down. "Will it bite me, and suck my blood?"

He laughs and says, "No silly, Izzy. It's a pumpkin vampire, he only sucks pumpkin blood."

"Whew," she says sliding the back of her right hand across her forehead. "I was worried for a minute there. Are you ready to go see what kind of goodies we can get?" He shakes his head yes. "Well, come on then."

"YAY!" He shouts as he jumps up out of the chair, and I walk over and grab my pumpkin. It has golden, olive shaped eyes, a little white smeared thinly to make it's cheeks, and what would've been perfect, pink lips, is now a smear that goes up to where the nose once was.

"Can Alec and Jace come with us?" He asks as we make our way back over to the car.

I look to my left at Izzy and she winks at me as she says, "You'll have to ask them."

* * *

We near the car and find Alec leaned against the passenger fender with arms crossed in front of his chest and his right leg crossed over his left, and Jace sitting on the hood with his feet on the bumper, his elbows resting on his knees with his forearms extended out in front of him and his hands folded together. The two are talking about something and from the looks of Alec's posture, I know it's something on the serious side, but I can't hear what.

When Alec notices us, he reaches over and backhands Jace in the bicep with his left hand, and Jace looks up and directly into my eyes. He stands, never breaking eye contact with me, and once we're approximately two feet away from each other, I notice something about his eyes that I hadn't earlier and stop. They're gold! Contacts, duh. I say to myself. There's no way that he has gold eyes for real. However, there's something more to his eyes than just the color that keeps my attention.

I can see a fire burning in them, but since I don't know him, I'm not sure of what. It could be hate, or it could be lust, or something else altogether. Regardless of what type it is, I can feel the heat rise to my cheeks from it. I really hate blushing, it seems so childish.

His gaze lowers down to my feet and back up my body slowly, and it's as if he is devouring me with just his eyes now. His eyes meet mine again, and a charming smile appears on his face. I wonder how many females he's managed to win over with that look, cause if he thinks it's going to work on me, he's so very wrong.

"Will you guys go trick-or-treating with us?" Max asks, and I break eye contact with Jace to look at him. "Izzy said I had to ask y'all."

"I don't know, Max." Alec says, the unsureness clear in his voice. "I was just sticking around to apologize to you about earlier, and then I was going to go home."

"Oh, please, Alec, come with us," Max pleads with him, in a typical ten year old's voice.

"Look at this face, Alec." Jace says kneeling down in front of Max on one knee. He puts his hands on each side of Max's face, squishing his cheeks together. "How can you say no to this?"

Alec chuckles and says, "Okay, fine, I'm in."

"Yay!" Max squeals as Jace says, "Yes!" Then they high five each other and Jace has a huge smile plastered on his face.

"Well, I don't care what we're riding in, I've got shotgun." Alec states. I wonder why Alec didn't drive.

"Well, I'm driving, cause we're taking my car." Izzy says decisively.

I'm starting to get the feeling that she's set this whole thing up. I mean, maybe not at first; but since we got here, yes. Then again, maybe she knew that this Jace guy was with Alec from the start, and had it planned to go the same way from there.

"You'll have to sit behind Alec," Jace says standing back up, and winks at me as he continues, "or in the middle." I raise both my eyebrows at him. Is this dude serious? "My legs are to long."

"You could always ride in the trunk," I say sarcastically. "I'm sure there's enough leg room for you back there."

He laughs. "Only if you'll ride back there with me."

I roll my eyes at him and walk off. This guy is _really_ something else.

"Izzy," I say walking up behind her as she is closing the trunk. "Is there something you need to tell me?"

She turns around and looks a me; her eyebrows furrowed together and a confused smile on her face, yet her eyes are full of amusement. "Not that I know of. Why?"

"Oh, I don't know, you tell me. Did you, or are you trying to-"

"We need to stop by my car," Jace says cutting me off, as he walks up behind me. "I need to grab my jacket."

I roll my eyes, _again_ , and Izzy smiles a half smile. I know the answers now, I'm sure of it. I groan and walk off, going over to the passenger side of the car and climbing into the backseat. The sooner we get going, the sooner I can get rid of him! Plus, I need to have a serious talk with Miss Isabelle Lightwood, about all of this. I wonder... _Does Alec have something to do with this?_ When Izzy and I try talking him into things, he puts up a fight, but he sure did give up awfully easy when Max and Jace were 'talking him into it.' I guess, I'll just have to find out when I have my talk with Izzy.

Just then Alec opens the front passenger door and climbs in; or I can just ask him right now. I open my mouth to ask, and Max opens the door to my left. Well, there goes that idea!

"Clary!" Max says excitedly as he crawls into the middle of the back seat. He points behind him, and Jace is climbing in right behind him. "Jace said that he's going to take me for ice cream tomorrow."

"That's great, Max." I say with as real of a smile as I can muster up. I can't take out my frustration on Max, he's innocent, but I can't find it in myself to be thrilled about the situation I'm currently stuck in either. Suddenly the car starts, and I look up to find that Izzy has already climbed in the car without me noticing.

"You guys ready to get this show on the road?" She asks, looking in the review mirror at me. I nod, and see out the corner of my eye, that so does Max and Jace. She drops the car in reverse, backing out of our parking space, and then in drive, and takes off slowly. "Where'd you guys park at?"

Jace leans up between the seats, and points towards the empty field to the left of the park. "We're towards the far back, by the ball field."

"Okay," Izzy says simply, and heads in the direction he pointed in.

* * *

On the way to Jace's car, I feel eyes on me. I look around at everybody inside of the car, but no one is looking directly at me. I look in the mirror, and meet Jace's eyes. He doesn't bother to look away when I give him an unamused 'problem?' look, instead he smiles slightly and looks amused, so I look away; my face turning red once again tonight, but more out of frustration than anything else. What is this guy's problem?

"Make it quick," Izzy says as we come to a stop beside what looks like a 2014 Equinox; it's to dark to make out the color, but it looks like it could be black.

Jace gets out of the car, and while he's gone I decide to strike up a casual conversation; since Max is sitting beside me, and I don't want to involve him in a grown folk conversation.

"So, Alec, what are you suppose to be?"

He turns his head to the left, side eyeing me. "Well, I wasn't dressed as anything until mom decided that she was going to put lipstick on my temple. She said, I was a dead soldier since I was already dressed like one."

"Sounds like her," I say as Max, Izzy, and I chuckle at him. "At least you didn't have to get all dressed up."

"Yeah," he says sounding confused as he turns to face me better, his face scrunched up. "I thought you weren't dressing up this year."

"Your sister," I sigh exasperatedly.

"Enough said," he laughs, as Jace climbs back in and shuts the door behind him.

"What is?" Jace asks.

"Oh, nothing." Alec replies and turns back around. "So, where are we going to start at?"

"The street with the haunted house, where the man jumps out of the coffin." Max says eagerly, hopping up and down in his seat. "Jace, you're going to be scared."

"Well, will you protect me?" Jace asks in what sounds to me like mock worry, and I see Max nod from my peripheral. "Then I'll be alright."

* * *

 **I hope you have enjoyed!**

 **Let me know with a review! And don't forget to follow so that you get notified of updates. Mwah!**

 **I'd also like to give a special shout out to Mrs Jace Wayland-Herondale. Girl, I can always count on you to give it to me straight! Thank you!**


	2. Trick-Or-Treating And The Haunted House

**Well, here is the last of the, once upon a time, one-shot. Enjoy! Bwahahaha!**

* * *

"Put them in, put them in." Max says excitedly to Jace after we all get out of the car and make it to the curb.

Jace turns his back to us, puts his left hand into his front pocket, pulling something out, and brings both hands up to his face. When he turns back around to face us, he growls while baring fangs identical to Max's and my own.

"Well, wouldn't you know it," Izzy laughs. "Three vampires."

The others look to me, and Max says, "Put them in, Clary, pleeaassee."

"Alright." I walk back over to the car, and the lights flash with a beep as Izzy unlocks it for me. I open the front passenger door, and grab my teeth out of the glove box. I shut the door, and put my teeth in as I make my way back up on to the curb and Izzy relocks the doors. I look at Max, twists my hands around by my face. "Wa-la."

He laughs and then shouts, "Come on, guys," as he takes off running down the block. Izzy, Alec, Jace, and I, all take off running after him; when all of a sudden I feel eyes on me again.

I look to my right, and it's not Jace _this time_ , or even Alec. I look to my left, and it's not Izzy either. I slow down to a jog, before coming to a complete stop and looking around. I can still feel the eyes burning into my skin, but I'm not seeing who it could possibly be. I'm about to give up and turn back around when I catch a glimpse of something, _or somebody_ , move behind the big tree that stands across the street. I squint, trying to get a better look, when a hand grabs my shoulder gently yet firmly. I let out a shrieking gasp.

"Are you alright?" The familiar voice asks, sounding sincerely concerned. I turn around, their hand sliding down my arm. It's Jace, and for some reason, I feel a slight bit at ease. Unable to think straight, and not wanting to go into anything with him, I simply nod yes. He looks at me skeptically. "Are you sure? You look like you've just seen a ghost, which is pretty ironic, since I just seen one before I came back to get you."

"Yeah," I say trying to sound sure enough that I can convince even myself of it. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he chuckles. I look at him in confusion. He shrugs. "Sorry. It's just that, that's the first time you've said anything nice to me."

"Yeah, well, don't get use to it."

"Oh, I won't," he laughs. "Are you ready to get back to the others? Max wants you to go through the haunted house with him."

"Alright," I say absent-mindedly, looking back over to the tree and then around, again. I can feel the eyes on me still, and it's a bit unnerving, if I'm honest.

Jace gently grabs ahold to my right wrist and begins to guide me towards the others. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I say as I continue to glance around, and continue to let him hold on to my wrist. I'm not even really sure why I'm doing it, but something just feels right about it. Especially with those eyes of the person, that I can't find, burning into my skin.

"So glad you could join us," Alec says with his right eyebrow raised and a small smile, as Jace and I join up with him and Izzy. He points over to the left, where I now see Max is playing in a bowl of eyeballs - grapes in red gelatin. "Somebody was starting to get impatient."

"Sorry," is all I can say.

"I'll go get him," Jace says and he lets go of my wrist as he starts making his way over to Max.

"I'll come with," Alec says, falling into step beside Jace.

Izzy stands there, looking at me expectantly. "I really am sorry."

"What's wrong?"

I glance around us before whispering, "I don't know. I think somebody is watching me."

She looks taken back by my statement. "Who?"

"I don't know that either."

She puts her left arm around my shoulders. "Well, I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"What's going to happen to her?" Jace asks, catching us both off guard.

I look at Izzy and silently plead with her not to say anything. She shakes her head. "Oh, nothing. Thought you were getting Max."

"I was, but Alec took him to wash his hands, and I didn't think it would take two people to do it."

"Oh," she says simply. "By the way, I don't think you two have officially met. Jace, this is Clary, my best friend. Clary, this is Jace, my cousin." She says motioning between the two of us with her right hand. "Jace is actually moving in with mom, and them, at the house. And Clary is my roommate."

"Sweet! That means, when I come for a visit, I get to see you both." Jace says with a smirk.

I roll my eyes while shaking my head slightly. "Or.. I could leave before you get there, and come back once you're gone."

"Ouch," he says grabbing at his chest, causing me to laugh a little, which in turn makes him grin.

"Izzy, Clary, Jace, come on," Alec calls from the other side of the yard we've been standing in front of.

"Coming," Izzy yells back. She drops her arm from my shoulder as we walk that way, Izzy and Jace both to my right. She leans over after a couple steps, whispers, "Don't worry, you're in good hands," in my ear and takes off; leaving me alone with Jace.

Awkward silence falls between the two of us for a short moment before Jace breaks it by saying, "You know, we've met before tonight."

"We have?" I ask with uncertainty. "When? And please don't say in a dream."

He laughs. "No, it was last Halloween actually." Oh, boy!

"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't remember it." I tell him honestly. I can not say that I remember meeting him anywhere I went that day. Or night for that matter.

"It was at a party, and you were beating the hell out of the girl that had invited me to the party." Is he saying what I think he's saying? "I was the one that pulled you off of her, before you ended up in prison for murder."

"That was you?" I ask incredulously as I look over at him, completely shocked that a year later, I'm finally finding out who it was. "How did you know to take me to Izzy?"

"Yeah, it was me." He looks at me, confusion written all over his face. "Nobody told you that?" I shake my head no. "Hmm. Well, that explains a lot."

Not sure of what he means, and not actually worrying about it at the moment, I ask, "So, are you going to tell me how you knew to take me to Izzy?"

He looks back in front of us. "Well, I've seen pictures of you at the house, and I've heard hundreds of stories about you. You know, you're really special to the Lightwood's, they talk about you as if you were family."

I look forwards, and see Max, Izzy, and Alec just a couple of houses in front of us and I smile at them lovingly. "Well, it makes sense. Maryse and my mom were really good friends until she passed away a couple of years ago."

"I'm sorry," he says sincerely, and I detect a hint of sorrow in his tone.

"Thanks," I say glancing over at him. "So, why are you moving in with Maryse and them?"

"Oh," he hesitates. He shakes his head slightly. "I just needed a change of scenery."

Even though I don't really know him, I know that there is something more to it, he just doesn't want to talk about it; so I don't push the matter and the two of us begin to fall back into silence, only this time, it's not so awkward, like before.

"Do you feel like you're being watched?" He asks suddenly, breaking our silence after a moment, and I freeze in place. He stops and looks at me, a worried expression on his face.

"Why would you ask that?" I ask in a nervous whisper.

He takes a step towards me, so that we are only inches apart. "Ever since we got here, and I've been around you, I've felt like somebody was watching us; especially, after I came back to get you."

I just stand there looking up at him, unsure of what to say. I'm not the only one that feels the eyes on me, so at least I know I'm not just being paranoid. I open my mouth, finally finding the words I want to ask, when he leans forward, his warm breath brushing along my neck and left ear. At first he doesn't say anything, and even though I can feel all my blood rushing to my head, making me lightheaded, and the heat in my face as I blush, I wonder what exactly it is that he's doing. Is he smelling me?

"If you don't want to answer, then just shake your head yes if you feel it." He says finally, and I do as he said. "I thought so. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He pulls back and takes me by the hand firmly, as if he is making sure that nobody can pull me away from him if they were to try. "Come on, lets catch back up to the others."

The two of us start jogging, my right hand in his big, warm, left hand, and I'm not sure if I just didn't pay attention earlier, or if it's because of what he said, but it feels like tiny electrical currents are running through my body from everywhere that our skin is in contact with the other.

We catch up to Max, Izzy, and Alec just before they reach the haunted house that I know Max wants not only me, but Jace as well, to go through with him. We all come to a stop on the sidewalk in front of the walkway leading up to the house, and Izzy's jaw drops in shock. She looks over at me, the anger with a hint of worry in her eyes is enough to tell me that there's something she doesn't like seeing and that she's worried about me seeing.

"SEBASTIAN," Max shouts happily, and I now know exactly what it is that's wrong with Izzy.

My hands clench tight, and Jace steps closer to me. It dawns on me that I was still holding his hand, and now I have it in a death grip. I release the squeeze I have on it and try to pull my hand away, but he holds on to it and refuses to let go.

"Hi, Max." Sebastian says as he walks up to us smiling, with Aline, Helen, and her younger brothers and sisters. He gives Max a small hug, and Aline looks nervous as they come to a stop in front of us. "Hi, Alec, Izzy," he looks directly into my eyes as he says, "Clary," with no emotion at all, and my left fist clenches even tighter while my right hand grips Jace's hand with so much pressure, that I'm sure he's bound to let out a yelp at any second and snatch his hand away. Sebastian looks Jace up and down, his eyes lingering a little longer both times they come to our intertwined hands, and Jace let's out a scoff.

"Oh, I forgot, you two have never really met." I say as sweetly as I can, trying to cover up my annoyance and anger. I have to play nice. I can't, _and won't_ , let him cause me to ruin Max's night with us. Plus, I'd never admit it out loud, but I'm actually kind of having fun talking to Jace. He may just be somebody that I let into my closed, little circle. "This is Jace, he's-"

"Her boyfriend," Jace says cutting me off, as he squeezes my hand a little and lifts it up into the air for all to see. My body tenses at his words, and Izzy and Alec look between the two of us and Sebastian while trying to hide smiles. I think about denying it for a split second, but the mixed look on Sebastian's face of anger and pain is totally worth not saying shit. "And I remember you, you're the d-" I squeeze his hand cutting him off, and he looks at me puzzled. I quickly cut my eyes over at Max and then back to him, and shake my head no very slightly. He looks back to Sebastian and smiles slyly. "The dude, that she _use to date_."

Nice save! I silently applaud him, as Sebastian sadly says, "Yeah." He looks down at the ground and asks, "Can I talk to you for a minute, Clary? Alone?"

"Actually, now's not a good time," I say to him, and he looks back up and directly into my eyes, again. He looks like he's broken, but I could care less. He should've thought about that before he screwed around on me. "We're fixing to go inside the haunted house. Maybe some other time." I look down at Max, he's staring up at us in confusion. "You ready?"

He nods yes, and then looks at Jace. "They're going to scare you, so be ready to be scared. Okay?"

"Okay," Jace chuckles. "But remember, you're suppose to protect me."

"I remember," Max says as he grabs Jace's right hand. He pulls Jace towards the entrance, which in turn pulls me behind them, and Izzy and Alec fall in behind us, the two quietly snickering.

* * *

The five of us make it inside the haunted house and are walking down the first hall that is lined with fake spider webs that have fake spiders in them here and there, along both sides, when I glance over at Jace; he's smiling like a fool while his eyes check everything out.

"Thanks for that," I whisper as I step over a glob of webbing.

"No problem," he says, and in my peripheral I see him look over at me as we round the left corner; Max leading the way. This hallway has more cobwebs, skeletons every few steps, and a couple of coffins; one placed in the middle on the left side, the other at the end on the right by the black tunnel decorated entrance to the next section. He laughs at one of the skeletons to his right, as its eyes light up red and it sits up.

I chuckle softly. "Well, can I have my hand back now?"

He looks at me like I just stole his wallet, then asked for a loan. A smile plays at the right corner of his lips before turning into a smirk. "Max, Clary doesn't want to hold my hand anymore and I'm scared."

"Clary," Max growls exasperatedly, looking around Jace at me with a raised eyebrow; since they're still holding hands as well.

I laugh. "He's lying, Max. He isn't scared, he was just laughing at the skeleton." I point behind us, over my right shoulder.

"Jace," he growls, and we both laugh at him this time.

"Alright, fine," Jace says and then sighs. He let's go of my hand as he says, "You got me."

"Now behave," Max tells him, and then releases Jace's other hand as we near the end of the hall. "Since you're not scared, I'm going to check on Izzy and Alec."

"You just got told by a ten year old," I chuckle.

"It's not the first time," he laughs. "And it probably won't be the last."

I laugh knowingly and Jace looks at me, just as the coffin opens and a man dressed like a mummy jumps out, grabbing him. Jace lets out a true scream of horror, grabs the man's hands and flips him over his shoulder. The poor man lands in front of our feet, the breath knocked out of his body. I know I shouldn't laugh, but I can't help it. Jace's scream was hilarious, and the look of terror that flashed across his face was priceless.

I can hear Max, Izzy, and Alec laughing from behind us, as Jace reaches down and grabs the man's hand, helping him to his feet. "Dude, I'm so sorry. I wasn't expecting that at all."

The man dust himself off, looks at us, and shakes his head, a smile appearing on his face. "It's alright. That pretty little thing next to you," he points at me, "did the same thing to me a few years ago, and she was tinier then. If you can believe that."

"I find that hard to imagine," Jace says jokingly. "I really am sorry, though, man."

"It's alright, really. It happens at least once a year, and yet I still haven't learned my lesson." He walks over to the coffin, climbs inside, and as he's shutting the lid he says in a spooky voice, "Hope you enjoy the rest of the house."

Jace looks at the coffin with a bewildered look, and we all bust out laughing at him before continuing on.

Entering the cave, Jace asks no one in particular, "Is there anything else going to jump out at me?"

Max, Izzy, and I answer simultaneously with, "Maybe."

He looks around, taking in the scene. It consist of a black ceiling with beaty red dots that are suppose to resemble bat eyes, the walls have brown foam that has been shaped to look like rocks, and there are at least a dozen little white lights lined throughout it all to resemble crystals.

We walk through the 'cave,' rubber bats swooping down at us every once in awhile, occasionally hearing faint screams in the distance, and I sigh in relief.

"What is it?" Jace asks as we exit the cave. We enter into yet another dark room, this one has a fog machine, a witches cauldron sits in the middle of the floor with three women dressed as witches stirring it with an upside down straw broom, a few more brooms sitting in the far right corner, and to the left there is a shelf lined with mason jars that look as if they have tongues, eyeballs, and all sorts of other things in them.

"I don't feel them anymore," I answer vaguely, unsure of where Max may be lurking. "I haven't felt them since shortly after we entered this place."

"You know," he quickly glances over his shoulder, "I was having such a good time with you, that I hadn't paid it any real attention. But now that you mention it, I haven't felt them either, which is a good thing."

"Yeah, but that can only mean one thing, that whoever it is, is outside still." I say and the witches cackle, it's as if they heard me and know something that I don't know, and it causes a chill to run up my spine. I shake it off, because there is no way that they could possibly know what's been going on, and it was crazy for me to think so, even if it was only for a few seconds.

"Don't worry. Remember, I got you." He says reassuringly with a slight cockiness to his tone.

"Oh, I'm not really worried about it. I would just like to know who it is, and why they're doing it." I admit, my tone full of certainty. That's honestly the most unsettling thing about it. I mean, whoever it is could always just come up and say something, instead of lurking around and watching me. We come up on the witches and their cauldron, and I nudge Jace with my right elbow. "Check this out."

"Would you like to see what will happen to you if you cross us?" One witch asks.

"Sure, why not." Jace answers.

"Come a little closer, and take a look then," says the middle witch. Jace takes a step toward them, and leans forwards, from the waist up. The third witch takes the broom, and hits the bottom of the big black pot, and a head with its face melted pops up, and Jace flinches. I chuckle at him, and we continue on.

"Well, whoever it is and whatever reason they have for doing it, if they try something, they'll have to get through me first." He says pointing at himself with his thumb at the end, while getting back to what we had been talking about before, and I silently chuckle at the fact that he thinks I need him to protect me.

"Whatever," I say under my breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"I'm sure it was, and to think, here I thought you were finally warming up to me."

"Yeah, I don't see that happening."

"Oh, we'll see about that." He says sounding full of himself. "I _will_ win you over."

"If you say so," I scoff. Somebody has to knock him back down a few notches, and it might as well be me.

We enter a room that is much smaller than the other rooms we've already been through. This one resembles the inside of a butcher shop and a tool shed. It has a variety of different things hanging from the walls and ceiling; such as saws, sickles, scythes, saw blades, bear traps, a variety of other size traps, and meat cleavers. There is a bloody, female body that has its hands chained to the wall on our left, with its intestines hanging out of it. About midways, to the right, is a wooden table with another body laying on it, and beside its head sits a chainsaw and a meat slicer. To the left of the exit is a deep freeze, that has blood running down it, and the entire floor has arms and legs scattered around, some of the legs even have traps closed down on them.

"Clary," I hear a small voice say, and before I can reply Max is holding onto my left hand and Izzy is holding onto his left hand.

Izzy leans over Max's head and whispers, "I think we should fall back a little."

I nod my head in agreement, and we slow our pace, allowing Alec to pass us and catch up with Jace. We follow behind them, and Izzy and I occasionally glance over at each other with ear to ear grins. Alec has never come through here with us before, so this is his and Jace's first time. - It's apparent to me since he flipped the guy in the coffin earlier. I mean, that guy has been doing that for four years now. - And even though we've been through here a handful of times, and know what to expect, even we still find ourselves jumping.

Alec and Jace are between the table and the deep freeze when an alarm starts blaring. A door that wasn't visible before, slams shut behind us; the contraptions on both doors start spinning, and you hear heavy locks clinking as they come to a stop. Max's grip tightens on my hand as Alec and Jace look back at us, horror in their eyes. I hear Izzy telling Max that it's okay over the squalling of the alarm, and I stifle a laugh. The look on their faces and the fact that they have no idea what is about to happen is completely hilarious, but with Max being scared, I don't want him to think I'm making fun of him.

Jace and Alec start looking around the room, as if they are looking for another way out, just as the deep freeze opens and a chainsaw comes to life. The two turn around quickly, now facing the person wearing a Leatherface mask that is coming at them, and Max grabs ahold to my leg, and pulls Izzy and me into each other to shield him. Alec and Jace back up as quickly as they can, considering the limbs all over the place, and Alec ends up tripping. He screams like a little bitch as a person wearing a Slasher mask comes rolling out of the limbs, grabbing him by the leg with a machete in his right hand. Alec scurrying away, quickly escapes the grasp and gets up, knocking Jace over into the legs of the body hanging on the left wall as he makes his way over to us.

The woman on the wall lets out a scream of pain as Jace crashes into her, and he darts across the room, panic clear on his face and in his body movement. He hits the table that the other body lays on with his waist and hands, causing that person to sit up and show off its deformed face. Jace looks up at it with his hands on the table, as if he is frozen there and that's all that he can do. The deformed man looks at him, and tilts his head to the side, as if he is confused by what he sees; wielding a knife, he slams it into the wooden table right in front of Jace's face, and Jace lets out a blood curling scream. The man grabs Jace by the left arm and Jace quickly shakes him off. He runs over to us, throws his arms out as if he's trying to protect us, and I hear laughing.

I look over at Izzy, it's not her. I look at Max, and it's him; which is shocking, considering just a moment ago he was scared and using Izzy and myself as his human shields, but it's also amusing.

"What are you laughing at?" I ask with a smile and my eyebrows raised.

"Look," he tilts his head back. I look and see that Alec has his back to us with his arms stretched out too, and I laugh.

Izzy looks between Alec and Jace, and shakes her head with a chuckle. "Men," she scoffs, and shoves past Jace, pulling Max and I along with her, and causing me to brush up against his back and arm.

We walk to the exit, passing each of the creepers as if they aren't even there, and Izzy turns the knob, the door opening with ease. I laugh inwardly, Alec and Jace really thought we were locked in this whole time.

We enter into the next room, more of a hall really, and I'm blinded by red strobe lights. - It doesn't matter how many times I've been here, those damn lights always get me. - We make our way through the nauseating room to the exit, and a vampire pops up in front of us and in a creepy voice says, "Thank you for the screams. Please, come again next year."

* * *

 **I hope you have enjoyed it!**

 **Let me know in the reviews what you thought, and what you think is still yet to come.** **I'd love to know your theories on what Jace is keeping quiet about, what is Sebastian's deal (What does he want to talk to her about? Is he the one watching Clary or is somebody else?)!**

 **Don't forget to follow, hell even favorite! Until next time, MWAH!**


	3. Oh Alec

We all come out the haunted house hanging on each other and laughing, as we make our way down the exiting walkway; splitting apart when Max stops at the table to the left of the path - where the homeowners, dressed as skeletons, sit - to get his candy before we continue on. I don't know why this child puts himself through all that just for a large handful of candy. I mean, he can get the candy without going inside the haunted house, since they sit on the sidewalk handing it out to all those who pass by. And I know he loves the mummy, but that wasn't there the first year we went through; it was just empty coffins then. Maybe it's the rush, and the curiosity of what could have been added each and every year, that gets him.

Deciding that, that's got to be it, I look over at Jace, still laughing, and ask, "Now what was that about you having my back, or whatnot?"

"Man, that was different," he says, his laughing coming to a stop, then looks at me. "And I did come back to protect you." He inhales sharply, as if he is surprised by what he just said, then quickly adds, "All of you in fact."

"Yeah, but not before shitting yourself," I laugh, my left hand loosely balled into a fist in front of my mouth while pointing at him with my right index finger.

"I did _not_ shit myself," he protests. I look at him skeptically, both eyebrows raised, my lips pooched out, and my hands on my hips. "Okay, maybe a little," he chuckles before adding, "But not literally."

"That's what I thought," I chuckle, dropping my hands from my hips as our group begins putting distance between ourselves and the haunted house; Max leading the way, closely followed by Izzy and Alec, and Jace and myself a step behind them.

Jace raises his right eyebrow at me with a smirk on his face, and says, "I'm glad I could be of amusement for you."

"Oh, you were." I tell him assuredly, looking around once again because I can feel the eyes back on me.

The mass of people on the street has increased in a significant amount, making it even harder to spot who it could possibly be, as they shuffle from house to house, and back and forth across the street.

"HA! Right there!" He exclaims pointing at me. His eyes looking hopeful, but his voice sounding sure when he says, "You're warming up to me."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just keep telling yourself that, bub." I say, dismissing his accusation.

He jumps out in front of me, facing me while taking a couple of steps backwards, and stops suddenly; causing me to crash into him as he cuts me off from Max, Izzy, and Alec. His arms automatically go around me as I start to fall backwards from the force of our collision, and he pulls me into him as he keeps me from hitting the ground.

I look up and my eyes meet his, our faces only a couple inches away from the others, and our bodies are pressed against each other to the point that I can literally feel his heart beating against my chest as if it were my own. And all I can think is that this reminds me of some cheesy cliché from the movies; girl falls, guy catches her before she hits the ground, their eyes lock, and then they kiss. Just then Jace's face comes closer to mine and I move my head to my right. Oh no the hell he isn't!

"No, you just keep telling yourself that," he whispers against my left ear, his warm breath causing goosebumps all over my body as it touches my skin. Come on, Clary, I know it's been awhile but _damn girl_ , this is ridiculous. He stands me back up straight, never pulling his cheek away from my own, or any body part for that matter, and whispers, "You'll see that you can't resist me for long."

"Dude, you are so full of your damn self that it's unreal," I say loud enough that a passerby chuckles. He pulls back, letting me go as he does, and the look on his face is as if I just castrated him. _Good!_ He needs to be knocked down off that high horse he thinks he rides on! I very proudly tell myself before continuing. "You don't know me. You don't know what I _can, or can not,_ resist. So, _don't_ assume that you do!"

He stands there looking like a deer caught in headlights, and it's obvious to me that he is at a total loss for words. That must be something new to him, I laugh to myself as I decide to catch up with the others. I take a step to the right, to go around him, and he grabs my left forearm as I go to take another step.

"I'd like to change all of that," he says softly, finally finding his voice and stopping me. I look at him with my eyebrows raised. - _Really?!_ After all of that, he still won't give up. I can't believe this shit, man. - He turns his body, so that he is completely facing me. "I'm serious. I would really like to get to know you better. And just so that there's no pressure, you could always come with Max and me to get ice cream tomorrow."

"As appealing as that offer is," I say sarcastically. "I'm going to have to pass. I've got other things I have to do."

I have to hand it to him though, he is persistent, and trying to use Max like that; it's almost as if he knows, but it won't work for him.

"Like what?" He asks as I pull my arm away from his left hand and begin to walk off, and he falls in step beside me.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Well, that _is_ why I asked."

"Look at you, you do have another side besides arrogance and conceitedness."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"It _means_ , that you also have sarcasm to go along with the rest of your attitude."

"Oh, I have many sides," he says sounding amused now. "And I'm not conceited, I'm convinced. There's a difference."

"Whatever," I scoff while rolling my eyes. "But a word from the wise, it's not what we females would call an attractive quality."

"I've never heard any complaints," he says sure of himself.

"Well, you have now." I tell him, and then sigh. I am not going to let him break me, but after what he did for me earlier I think I should help him out a little. "Confidence is an attractive trait, being full of yourself is not. It makes one wonder, if you would even have any room left in yourself, to have any real feelings for them." He makes a ahem noise and I glance over at him, he's grinning as if I was speaking in code and he just read between the lines, breaking it, so I firmly add, "Not me."

"Okay," he says, sounding like he doesn't believe me, but I am dead serious. I mean, yeah, if I was looking for somebody that would be true, however, I'm not. I'm not looking to let _anybody_ get close enough to me, that they would be able to hurt me, ever again; that's why I only have associates. I've got to keep that wall up, I have got to keep myself guarded. "But for the record, I have many layers. And if you took the time to get to know me, you would see who I really am."

"Thanks for the offer, but again, I'm going to have to pass," I say solemnly, as we _finally_ catch up with the others. _Thank the angel,_ I'm not alone with him anymore.

"Fine," he huffs, and storms off after Max and Alec, as they make their way up another long walkway.

"What the hell was all that about?" Izzy asks quizzically, turning her head to the right to look at me.

"I turned down his offer of getting to know him better," I say simply with a shrug.

"Why?" she asks, worry written all over her face. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened, Iz."

"You're lying to me," she says with certainty. _Damn!_ Sometimes I hate that she can tell when I'm lying. "You two seemed to be really hitting it off, so tell me what happened."

"Where do you want me to start?" I ask a little more venomously than I had intended. "How about how, he is so full of himself that it is unreal. Or how about how, I'm just not looking to get myself tangled up in another relationship, _of any kind_ , where I'm just going to get screwed over in the end."

"Clary," she says sadly through an audible release of breath, and puts her hands on my cheeks, cupping them. "When are you going to realize that everybody is not going to hurt you? None of the things that have happened to you were your fault, it was theirs for being idiots and not realizing how great of a person you are, and how lucky they were to have you in their lives.

"And yes, I know Jace is extremely conceited, but he _really_ likes you. I have _never_ " she closes her eyes and stretches her neck out when she says the word, "known him to act the way he has about anybody, _but you_. Ever since last year, every single time he called, he'd ask about you; wanting to know how you were, if you were with anybody, how things were going in your life, when we would give him your number, and the list continues. So why don't you just _try_ to get to know him better, you might be surprised." She sighs exasperatedly. "Besides, you need somebody in your life."

I put my hands on her cheeks, mimicking her as if we were standing in a mirror. "I have you, Alec, Max, and your mom - I even have those that I associate with - so I don't _need_ anybody else."

"Oh, Clary, you do. You just can't see it, like I do," she says, shaking her head very slightly towards the end, then slowly drops her hands from my face.

I open my mouth to tell her how wrong she is, but before I get the chance, I see Max out the corner of my eye running up to us with an ear to ear, toothy grin, holding his bag open.

"Look what I got," he says excitedly, and I drop my hands from her face. I bend over, looking into his bag, and see a king sized Reese's on top of all the variety of other candies.

"That's great, Max." I put my hand on his shoulder and quickly glance up at Izzy, who's standing there with a fake smile on her face, then back to him; giving him my complete and undivided attention. "What do you say we go see what else we can get."

* * *

 **Jace**

"Man, what's her deal?" I ask Alec in a low voice as the two of us follow a few feet behind Clary, Max, and Izzy, as they continue trick-or-treating; all the while keeping my eye on Clary. I know somebody is watching her still, I can feel it. And if that somebody tries something, I want to be able to cause them a world of hurt without any delay; even though I've seen first hand that she is a ferocious fighter, that shows no mercy.

I don't know why I feel this need to protect her like I do, but I do and I can't really explain it. It could be because she is so tiny, but they do say that dynamite comes in small packages. It could be that I feel this connection to her, like I've never felt with anybody else; it makes me want to be the one that makes her smile and laugh, - Oh, that laugh of hers sounds like angels singing, and her smile is like the sun's rays beaming down on me, bringing warmth and happiness. - and just be around her. I just want to be the one that keeps anything bad from happening to her.

"What do you mean?" Alec asks.

"One minute, it's as if we're connecting on some level. And then the next, it's like she wants nothing to do with me. Is that normal?"

I sure as hell hope he knows, because the angel knows that I don't, and that I am completely confused by it all.

"These days it is," he says. "For her anyway," he adds as an afterthought, and I look over at him expectantly with my left eyebrow raised. He opens his mouth to begin, and I look back at Clary. "She use to be this... this brilliantly, bright force. - Izzy always called her, her shooting star because of it. - She lit up any room she entered. - And it wasn't because of her fiery, red hair either. - She had this way of getting along with everybody, and a way of getting you to spill all your deepest, darkest secrets to her." He says that part as if he knows from personal experience. "She was out-going, loved to hang out with everybody and have fun, and..." He sighs. "You know what, it doesn't even matter what she was anymore, because she's completely changed. She has a wall around her now, and none of us have been able to get her to take it down. She pushes everybody away, with the exception of Izzy, Max, mom, and me; we're the only ones that she really and truly has anything to do with, and that's enough for her. - She doesn't even talk to dad anymore, but that's understandable." What the hell does that mean? Why wouldn't she talk to Robert anymore? "And you can't say that I didn't warn you about her being hot and cold with people, because I did when we were at the carnival earlier."

"Is that why you and Izzy never told her that I wanted to talk to her?" I ask, my curiosity getting the best of me. "Or that I was the one that pulled her off that bitch Seelie? She acts as if she has never heard anything about me, or even seen a picture of me before."

"That's because she hasn't," he admits. "She knew that we were going to visit our cousin, when we'd come for visits, and what we did while we were there, but other than that, no she hasn't. And it's not like you ever came to visit us. As for pictures, we don't really have any of you; except from when we were little kids, and they're in photo albums." He takes a deep audible breath and releases it. "And with everything that was going on that night, that week, it didn't really seem important to tell her that someone that was a complete stranger to her, pulled her off of that slut and wanted to talk to her. Besides that, Izzy and I were protecting her from getting hurt anymore than she already was."

"Protecting her from me?" I ask incredulously.

"Yes, from you," he says as if it is the most obvious thing in the world, and I can hear the anger that he is trying to fight back in his tone. "Face it, Jace, you're a player. You have never been in a real relationship, just a series of fuck buddies. And you would have preyed on her emotions, twisting them around to use for your own advantage, and then crushed her in the end."

"You don't know any of that to be true," I snap at him. "I would _not_ have done that to her. Sure I have been a player, but... I don't know, there's just something different about her. I can't explain it, but there is."

 _Wow!_ I can't believe I just said all of that out loud. Sure, I've been thinking it; I think about it a lot actually, but never _ever_ have I said anything like _that_ out loud before now. And yeah, at first my attraction to her was due to her beating the shit out of Seelie. But then when I pulled Clary off of her, I got this strange tingle through my body everywhere our bodies made contact, and I felt like I was being pulled to her for some reason. Those are all still very much a part of my attraction to her, but after actually meeting her and having a conversation with her, there is more now. She's a firecracker! She doesn't seem to take shit from anybody, she's protective over Max, she has a sense of humor, she seems really smart, and even though it steams my ass, she calls me out. She's also a challenge, seeing as how she won't just throw herself at me like I'm use to; so this is going to take actual work on my part.

I look over at Alec sheepishly, his mouth is gaped open and his eyes look like they are about to pop out of his head from shock. He starts moving his mouth, as if he is trying to say something, but nothing is coming out. Then again, maybe he is just trying to close his mouth, but it is refusing to stay shut. I turn my face back to the others, slightly embarrassed by what I said and what the result of it has been on him, and I hear what sounds like Alec saying, 'Izzy and mom were right,' under his breath, but I choose not to pay any attention to it.

"Max," he says faintly, then clears his throat. "Max is her weakness. She can't say no to him, and he's your only shot." He walks in front of me and stops, causing me to stop. Then he puts his finger in my face, pointing at me. "But let me tell you something, Jace. If you _do_ hurt her, _in any way_ , just know that I'm going to _physically_ hurt you."

"I won't," I try to assure him, and I suppose it works, if even just a little, because he nods, turns around, and the two of us start walking again. "But, I know that I'm going to have to find a way to prove that to her."

"Yeah," he chuckles. "That's going to be the fun part."

"I've figured that out already," I laugh. "Okay, so I know you told me earlier that you wouldn't tell me anything about Clary, because that was her place, but can you at least tell me something? Anything that might help."

"Hmm.." he says, then pauses. "Okay, she shares an apartment with Izzy. She's a senior in high school, just like you. She-"

"Wait," I interrupt him. "She's a senior in high school, but she has her own place?"

"Yes."

"How does that work?"

"It's not really my place to say. So, if you want to know, that's something that you'll have to ask her."

* * *

 **Clary**

After another hour of trick-or-treating, and Max's bag being completely filled, we finally called it quits; the watching eyes on me the whole time. I could never find who it was, but I did catch Jace staring at me the few times that I looked behind me; each time it seemed like he was wanting to say something, but he never did. Which I was happy about, but he could've stopped with the whole watching me thing. It was unsettling, like he expected something to happen to me. Then again, with an ego like his, he could have thought that if he stared at me long enough that I'd throw myself at him; it really wouldn't surprise me.

That brings me to the car ride back to the park, which we are currently doing in an awkward silence, other than the radio playing; and even that is so low that you can't really make out anything but the faint beats. Izzy occasionally looks back at me, gives me a half smile, and then looks back to the road. Max keeps dozing off, his head falling onto my left shoulder every now and then, and Jace's right shoulder the other times. I've seen Alec and Jace exchanging looks with each other every once in awhile, as if they are talking telepathically, before Alec turns back around; like they are doing right now.

Alec nods his head, and from his profile I can see that he is urging Jace to do something. Just then, Max's head falls back onto my shoulder. Ignoring whatever it is that's going on around me, I sink back into the seat, tilting my head back, and closing my eyes, as I take in Max snuggling up to me; he's such a little sweetie.

I hear Izzy's phone going off, and I open my eyes. I guess I must have dozed off, because we are nearly to Jace's car. GOOD! I'll be rid of him soon.

Izzy slides her finger from left to right across the screen, answering it. "Hi, mom."

"We're on our way to get Jace's car, and then they'll be home." Izzy says after a short moment.

"Why?" She asks incredulously.

She sighs. "Can't this wait? We have school tomorrow, and I'd have to take Clary home first."

"No," she says through her clinched teeth. A few seconds later. "Because."

"Fine," she says and hangs up the phone.

"What's going on?" Alec asks worriedly.

"Dad," she seethes. Now I know why she said she had to drop me off first, she did it for two reasons; one, as usual she didn't want to see him, and she had hoped that by saying that, it would get her out of it, and two, she knows that I still can't stand to be around him either. "He has something important that he wants to talk to us kids about," she says mockingly.

"Me too?" Jace asks skeptically, leaning forward slightly.

"No," Izzy replies, then sighs. "The way I understand it, he wants to talk to Alec and me."

"Whew," Jace breaths, and wipes the back of his left hand across his forehead, the relief showing on his face as he sits back.

She looks back at us as she says, "Don't worry, I'll take you to your car first." She looks back to the road. "And you can take Max and Alec home, while I take Clary home."

"Jace could take Clary home," Alec suggest eagerly. Then quickly adds, "That way you can get it over with sooner. And I'm sure he won't mind." He looks back at Jace. "Would you?"

I knew it! I fucking knew it! And I didn't even have to interrogate him, he just busted himself. I mentally shake my head. I thought that out of everybody, he would be the one to understand where I was coming from the best. Oh, Alec, what do you really think you are going to accomplish?

Jace smirks and says, "Not at all."

"Clary?" Izzy asks with uncertainty.

"If it will get you out of there sooner, then I'm alright with it." I say biting my tongue. I had really hoped to be rid of him once we got to his car, but now I'm going to be stuck with him even longer. I sigh inwardly. Oh, the things I will do for Izzy.

Alec grins. "Then it's settled then."

* * *

 **So I hope that you enjoyed this chapter!**

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 **I'm going to try to get at least one new chapter posted every week, fingers crossed that life allows that.**

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	4. What A Night!

We pull into the field that is still heavily populated by vehicles, and drive down to where Jace is parked. Once we come to a complete stop beside his car, Jace hesitates before opening the driver side passenger door and sliding out; the light waking up Max when it comes on.

"Are we home?" Max moans, raising his head slightly with half lidded eyes.

"Not yet, buddy," I say softly, then kiss the top of his head, his hardened hair never budging. Maryse is going to have fun getting him into the tub tonight, I laugh to myself. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," he says groggily, leaning up to hug me.

I wrap my arms around him, hugging him back, "I love you, Maximilian. Sweet dreams."

"I love you too, Clary-Beary," he says as we pull away from each other, and I hear Jace chuckle from outside of the car. _I don't know what he finds so funny_ , I think while rolling my eyes.

"I'll see you later, Alec," I say as I lean forward and give him a kiss on his left cheek. I sit back, and reach for the door. "I'll see you when you get home, Iz."

"Yeah, right," she laughs, as I put my right foot on the ground. "You'll be asleep by the time I get home."

"Only if you stay out all night partying," I tease. "Just be careful, and I'll see you either tonight or in the morning."

Just as I'm about to slide completely out the car, Max jumps up and gives me a kiss on my left cheek.

Jace pops his head in and asks, "What about me?"

I'm sure he isn't speaking to me, and instead of sticking around to find out, I decide to avoid the conversation altogether. I get out of the car, shutting the door behind me, and walk around the front of Izzy's car over to the passenger side of Jace's; where I stand at the door, waiting on him and getting cold. _I really wish that I had brought my jacket_ , I think as I hug myself for warmth.

Jace gets out of Izzy's car, shutting the door once he is out of the way, and takes a step back. And just like that, Izzy and them are on their way.

"You know," I say to Jace once they are out of sight, and he turns to look at me. "You really don't have to take me home. I don't live far, so I can always walk."

"Nonsense," he states, walking towards me with purpose. Oh great, is he about to... oh. He reaches around me, opening the door for me; his left arm brushing against my right hand and left bicep as he does. The warmth of his body sends a chill up my spine. "Here," he says reaching inside the door, between the seats, and pulling his leather jacket out, - I guess he put it in there after he got out of Izzy's car. - "You're cold."

"Thank you," I say as I reach for the jacket with my right hand. But he slides the arm hole over my hand, and then moves around to my left, helping me slide it on. What a gentleman! No, I reprimand myself. It could all just be a trick, and I've got to keep my guard up anyway; unless I want to be made a fool of, and hurt, _again_. I shrug the jacket on the rest of the way, pulling my hair out of the collar, and say, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he says sweetly as he walks back in front of me. "You ready to get going?"

I nod, and he puts his left hand on the top of the door and motions for me to get in with his right. I slide in the passenger seat, and he shuts the door behind me before jogging around the front, and jumping in the driver seat. He starts the engine, turns the headlights on, drops the gear shift into drive, and we ease our way out of the field and onto the street.

"Do you mind if I ask what all that was about?" Jace asks after we are a block down the road.

I look at him with my eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "What all, what was about?"

"Izzy getting all huffy about Robert wanting to talk to her and Alec," he explains simply. "It was like she didn't want to even see him."

"She doesn't," I state. "I'm sort of shocked that you don't know that." He looks at me expectantly, so I continue. Hey, it beats the hell out of awkward silence again. Right? "Robert cheated on Maryse, and while she has seemed to move past it, Izzy can't. That's why she lives with me. She can't stand to live under the same roof as him, let alone look at him."

"That makes sense," he says, and it sounds as if he knows from personal experience.

"Is that why you moved here?" I ask, curiosity getting the best of me, and he looks at me with raised eyebrows.

"Maybe a little," he says with a shrug. "But it's _definitely_ not all of it."

"Make a right, here," I say, pointing at the street we are coming up on.

"So," he says, turning on his turn signal. "Since you asked me a question about me, does that mean I get to ask you one about you?"

"Um.."

"If it's something you really don't want to talk about, you can just say so and I'll ask something else." He says reassuringly. Uh-oh.

Against my better judgement I say, "Alright, go ahead."

He seems to be really thinking over what he wants to ask, and all I can think is.. _Oh boy! Here we go._

He finally settles on the one, and asks, "How does a seventeen year old, in high school, end up with her own place?"

 _Shit!_

"How do you know how old I am?"

"Alec told me, but that's not answering the question."

"Well," I sigh. I should really just skip this question, but I suppose I might as well, or he'll just ask Alec about it. "I told you that my mom died a couple of years back, but I didn't tell you how, or that my older brother, Jonathan, was with her. They were going to see my dad at work, after Jonathan's doctors appointment, - he had come down with the flu, _thanks to me_ \- but before they could get inside, they were mugged. He put up a fight and was shot, so she attacked the one that shot him and was shot in the head by one of the others. My dad felt guilty, because he was the one that had told them to come by, and seeing as how I look like my mother, I guess he just couldn't stand the sight of me anymore, so he left in an around about way. He got to where he was never home, and when he was, he made sure it was when I was sleeping, or when he knew I wasn't there. Six months later, I got tired of communicating through notes stuck on the refrigerator door, and seeing as how he wasn't around and there is certain things that only a parent or guardian can do, I decided to go before a judge and get myself emancipated; and I did. He felt guilty even more so when he found out, and put me up in the apartment with the rent paid for five years; utilities included. And so that he doesn't have to see or talk to me, he has his assistant relay messages between us and give me spending money. He also has a delivery boy bring me groceries, and pick up the new list every week."

Whoa! I say, stopping myself from saying anything further. I really didn't mean to reveal all of that to him. That's letting him in, and I can't do that. Although, I have to admit, if only to myself, that it felt so good to get that much of what happened out.

"What about the Lightwood's?" He asks curiously, throwing me for a loop. He could've asked more about my father, or my mother and brother, but he didn't. "Wouldn't they have taken you in? They seem like they would have."

"Maryse offered to, but it seemed like a waste of a good apartment and money, and I didn't want to burden her anymore than I already had." Wow! Why isn't my filter working? Shut up! Shut up now! No more damn it!

I point to the block that we are coming up on, it's a series of side by side, brick, two stories, with steps leading up to the front doors, and black iron railings bent to the designers desire, decorating the sides of the stairs and window boxes that hold dying plants. There are trees out front loosing their leaves, between each staircase, only they are on the opposite side of the sidewalk, and a light pole at every other corner. - It's definitely not a place somebody would consider a broke person to live, but more along the lines of someone that was well off. - It's like that on both sides of the street for several blocks, before turning into the more fancy places. So right now, he is probably thinking that I'm some spoiled, little rich kid.

"That's me," I say, and he pulls over onto the shoulder, somehow managing to pull right up in front of my door; the one on the far corner from which we came, on the right side of the street. I look over at him, and with a small smile tell him, "Thanks for the ride."

"Anytime," he says with certainty, smiling back at me.

I open the door, step out, and am about to close the door when I remember that I have his jacket. "Sorry, I almost ran off with your jacket."

"Keep it," he says as I start to shake it off, and I freeze. "It looks better on you anyway."

 _Cheesy_.

"It's to big for me," I chuckle. "Besides, you'll need it in the morning, and mine is in the house. It wouldn't be fair of me to have two, when you don't even have one."

"I have others," he says, dismissing my reasoning. "So, you can just give it back to me tomorrow, or some other time."

"No, seriously," I say, sliding my left hand into the to big sleeve. "I don't need it anymore," I grab the cuff with my right hand, tugging at it as I pull my arm out, "I'm just right there," I tilt my head back, indicating the building, as he gets out and comes around the front of his Equinox. "So you see, I really don't need it anymore." I say, looking directly into his eyes once again tonight. How his eyes can be so captivating is beyond me.

"No, I insist," he says grabbing the jacket on each side, by the zipper, and pulling it into itself. "You still have to get inside, and I don't want you to get cold before you get to your door."

I stand here looking at him, with my right knee bent and my head tilted very slightly to the left. Is this really him, or is this all an act? He seems to be genuine about it, but I thought this much chivalry had died out a long time ago. Unless, he is just doing it because he thinks that it will get him into my pants, and if that is the case, he has another thing coming. Clarissa Adele Morgenstern is _not_ that gullible, nor that easy. Besides, I'm not interested in anybody. I remind myself. You let people in, and you get hurt.

I take a step back, pulling his large hands away from the jacket, and shuck it off. He's looking at me with his face scrunched up and his head cocked a little to his right, confusion all over his face and in his eyes.

"Thanks again," I say, handing him back his jacket as I walk past him. "But, I'm good. Night."

"Good night," he says, the confusion apparent even in his voice, as I start up the stairs.

* * *

I make it to the second floor which is dimly lit, pulling my house key out from between my left breast and the corset. I walk over to my door, and begin sliding the key into the key hole when suddenly somebody grabs me by my left shoulder.

I jump, then spin around quickly to my left on my heel, leaving my key in the padlock and bringing my right fist up to swing. - Nobody should be here at this time, except for me, unless they are looking for trouble. - My fist connects with the person's gut, and I hear the air release from their lungs as I do. A headful of jet black hair whips through the air as they double over from the blow they just received, and I take my stance, - my body turned slightly to the right, legs parted and slightly bent at the knees, my feet lined with my shoulders to help keep my balance, and both hands balled into tight fist - ready to swing again if the need arises.

"What was that for?" A familiar voice asks, slightly winded. They stand up slowly, both hands held over their stomach, revealing... Sebastian!

He has washed up and changed since I seen him earlier tonight. He is no longer wearing the ratted clothes that were covered in fake blood; and the crappy make-up job, that I figure was suppose to look like road rash, is gone from the right side of his face. Now he smells like Black by Axe and is wearing a pair of dark, stoned washed, blue jeans, and a tight fitting, black, long sleeved shirt that shows off the creases of his muscles; all of which use to be things that turned me on, but now I just find them sickening.

"Karma," I say with attitude, my eyebrows raised and lips pooched out, as I drop my stance. I know that even in these heels, that I can get back in it rather quickly if need be.

"Alright," he says, standing up completely straight. "I guess I deserved that."

"You guess you deserved that?" I ask incredulously with extreme malice. Ohhh, and if looks alone could kill. "You guess? You deserve more than that. You deserve to have your body drained of all its blood, nice and slowly, as ants eat at your flesh."

"You're right," he says looking down at the ground in shame, and I cross my arms over my chest. Good! He should feel like complete and utter shit!

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?" I ask venomously, being unrelenting with him; and I believe myself to be completely justified with my actions. And quite frankly, in my personal opinion, he is still getting off easy, because if I had been allowed to finish with Seelie that night, he was going to be next.

"I wanted to talk to you," he answers simply, looking at me through his eyelashes with his dark eyes that always reminded me of chocolate, but these days I think of it as more of a demonic thing. "You were busy earlier, so I thought that I'd come over and catch you at home."

"And what if I had company? Was I suppose to just _drop_ everything for you?"

"No," he shakes his head. He lifts his chin up, looking me directly in the eyes now, and steps towards me; stopping when there is only about six inches between us. "That Jace guy, he isn't really your boyfriend is he?" he asks with uncertainty.

"That's none of your business," I say, lowering my voice slightly. "You lost that right a long time ago."

He puts a hand on each side of my head, against the wall, as if he is trying to pin me in place; something that he knows I always liked. My heartbeat quickens as he leans his head down to my left ear.

"I really am sorry about all of that," he whispers then blows against the nap of my neck, and brings it up to my earlobe, causing me to tremble and my eyes to close. "I never meant to hurt you. You have got to know that."

"But you did," I mutter, and his lips come crashing down against mine.

I gasp in surprise and his tongue slides into my mouth, gliding against my own. He starts kissing me fiercely, and I return it; our tongues battling against the others as I draw my hands in, resting them against his chest, and he steps closer, closing the gap between us. He taste of cinnamon, and... and _alcohol_.

"Stop," I say into his mouth, coming to my senses and opening my eyes. But he doesn't stop, so I start pushing at him; he's stronger than me, we both know that. "Stop, Sebastian."

His hands grab my wrists, and squeeze tightly. "No," he says against my mouth, pressing me up against the wall.

"I said stop, Sebastian," I yell, still trying to shove him away from me; all while wondering how I could have been so stupid as to let any of this happen. It should have never been able to get this far. I should have left him standing in the hall when I realized it was him.

He still won't stop, and his lips are now frantically kissing on the right side of my jaw going down to my neck, and his hands are feverishly running up and down my sides. My eyes start tearing up at the anger I'm feeling towards myself. What do I do? Do I go along with it, and let him have his way? Do I scream, and hope like hell that somebody is home downstairs and hears me? Do I make him believe that I want to move this inside, and once he loosens his grip on me, try to make a run for it? Just then, I remember something my brother once told me. 'Use your opponent's weight against them.'

I quickly go completely limp, allowing all my muscles to relax, and he starts to fall in on me, so I stiffen. - That's it! Okay, I can do this. - I do it again, only this time when he starts to fall, I slide to the left, bringing myself closer to my door, and he comes crashing down against the wall, hitting his head and then landing on his stomach. - YES! - He starts staggering to get up, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees, and with all the anger I have built up, I draw my right leg back and kick him in the gut with everything I have; dropping him back to the ground.

"Don't _ever_ show your face around here again," I say viciously through my clinched teeth. "Or next time you _will be_ leaving in a body bag."

With that said, and him moaning on the ground, I storm over to the door; unlocking it and step inside. I slam it shut behind me, and lock it as I turn on the living room light. I pull my boots off, dropping them wherever as I make my way to the bathroom. I want to scrub away his touch, his scent, and his breath.

I unclothe and jump in the shower, washing my hair and body before letting the hot water run from the top of my head down my body for awhile longer. I get out, wrap my towel around my body, brush my hair and teeth, and head to my bedroom.

Once there, I slide my right hand up the wall on left side of the door, flipping on the light, since my left hand is holding my towel, and walk over to sit on the foot of my bed. I look over my shoulder at the clock that sits on the nightstand, to the right of my bed; it reads eleven eleven. It's still technically early, but oh what a night! I grab my dark green, silk nightgown, dropping my towel and pulling it on. Then I walk back over to the door, flipping the light switch off, before walking back across the room. I crawl up into my big, soft bed, pulling my gold colored sheet up around me; allowing myself to be swallowed up between the two. I check to make sure my alarm is on before closing my eyes.

I swear on the angel, that if I had known Sebastian had been drinking, I would have never said a single thing to him; I would have just grabbed my key and walked away. He has always gotten extremely aggressive when he drinks, and what makes it worse is that he refuses to listen to anything. It was actually something that we use to argue about, and from what I've heard, it's what caused him to run to Seelie; well that, and the fact that she's easy, and will sleep with anybody. But I really don't care anymore, I'm done with the both of them. I just can't believe that he had the gall to pull that shit tonight. Ugh! Damn males!

* * *

 **Jace**

I watched Clary as she walked up her front steps, completely baffled. I don't know if I said, or maybe even did, something wrong that caused her to want to get away from me like she did, but I wish she would have told me, so that I'd know not to do it again. What I do know is that she can go from talkative one minute, to withdrawn the next, and it's mystifying. However, after what I already knew with the Sebastian/Seelie ordeal, what Alec told me, and then what she told me on the ride over here, I'm starting to think that it's a defense mechanism. And I would know, since I have always had one of my own; that's why I have never had a serious relationship, you can't get hurt if you don't get serious. But there is something about Clary, something that makes me want to get serious. Maybe it's because she seems just as broken as me.

A short moment after Clary went inside her door I pulled across the street, parking catty-corner from her place, and started watching it; which I am still doing. Since she is home alone, I want to make sure that nobody fucks with her. Plus, I secretly want to know which room belongs to her; yet I have been here for at least ten minutes, and no lights have come on.

Five more minutes, still nothing. Does she have some sort of night vision that allows her to see in the dark? I ask myself only half jokingly.

Three more minutes, and the front window of the top floor lights up. From here I can tell that it is the living room; there's a television against the right wall, and by the window, either a chair or a couch. I can only see the top right corner due to a curtain that's partially closed, so I can't really tell which. I can also see her shadow as she moves away from the light, towards the back of the room, and disappears. _I wonder what took her so long to get inside_ , I think to myself. _Oh well, at least she's alright_.

Ten minutes later, and I see a tall figure of a person staggering out; their right hand on their head. I squint in attempt to get a better view, and I recognize who it is almost immediately. I quickly open my door, jump out, and run across the street; my blood boiling.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask angrily as I run up on the prick. He looks at me and blinks twice, while rubbing the width of his forehead with his hand. "I asked you what you were doing here, Sebastian. So, I _suggest_ you answer me."

"Jace, right?" he asks, his voice condescending, as he drops his hand from his head. My already balled up fists become even tighter, to the point that I think the bones may push through the skin at any minute, and I bite my tongue as I nod yes. He has another thing coming if he thinks that he is better than me, and he had _better not_ of done anything to Clary; or heaven help me, I will kill him! "I was just visiting _my_ girl," he says with a smirk.

"What do you mean _your_ girl?" I ask irately, and I feel like I am foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog. I swear on the angel, that I want to pulverize him where he stands, but I can't just yet; not before knowing what happened between the two of them. "You two aren't together anymore. She can't even stand you."

He laughs maliciously. "That's not what she was saying a bit ago, when she had her tongue down my throat."

Sebastian falls backwards, hitting the ground hard, after my left hand connects with his jaw, and I throw myself on top of him as I start bringing my fists down to his face. Left, right, left, right, left, left, right; eye, jaw, nose, cheek, jaw, eye, cheek. His hands come up to my throat, and wrap around my neck, but I slide my arms in-between his and pulling them out to each side of my head, I am able to remove his hands, and he raises up, head butting me in the face. I bring both my fists inwards, and hit him in his ears. He swings with his right fist, connecting with my left eye, and I slam his head into the concrete when I hit him in the face with my right fist. He rolls to his left, taking me with him and causing me to hit my head on the concrete; but I feel no pain, just the jarring of my neck as they connect. The two of us start trading blows, and rolling back and forth on the ground; trying to be the one on the top. After awhile of our back and forth's, I start to taste blood in my mouth, and it pisses me off more. I roll, getting myself back on top of him, and start to pound my left fist into his face repeatedly, while bringing my right hand up and grabbing ahold to his collar. While pulling him up to meet each of my blows, I think of how.. _I will win this! I will be the one walking away, NOT HIM_!

Just then I hear a stern voice yell, "Hey! Break it up!"

But I don't stop. I want this sorry piece of shit to bleed more than he already is.

The both of us continue to trade blows, and suddenly I'm being pulled away from him, so I try my damnedest to pull him back to me; I'm not done with him by a long shot.

"Stop," the person behind me demands. This voice sounds like someone with authority, so I finally let Sebastian go, and somebody pulls him back; the two stumbling backwards, then falling on theirs asses.

I shake the arms that are holding me off, and walk over to them with purpose and fire running through my veins. Sebastian's face is swollen and bleeding. The guy that he is practically sitting on, looks up at me through his glasses, and I can see the worry in his brown eyes. I chuckle inwardly, and squat down in front of them.

"Don't you ever, and I do mean _ever_ , come around her again." I tell Sebastian in rage, with my left index finger pointed in his face; deciding that even though I completely loathe him, that I will give him this one and only warning.

He laughs menacingly, blood running from his mouth, as he rolls to his right, leaning against the sidewalk on his forearm, then spits.

I grab his face, my thumb digging into his left cheek and my fingers digging into his right, and fiercely jerk his face towards me. "I'm not playing."

"Or what?" he asks laughing maliciously, and I tighten my grip on his face.

"Man, do you want _me_ to kick his ass for you?" The person that was holding me asks, and now I can make out that whoever it is, is definitely male.

I whip my head around at him, the pole light behind him making him look like a tall silhouette - he's got to be about six foot two, six foot three at the most. "Thanks for the offer, but I've got this."

"Alright, dude," he says, throwing his hands out. "But let me know if you change your mind."

I look back to Sebastian's ugly ass. "Let me just tell you this.. Do it, and you'll find out."

Sebastian and I then enter into a staring contest. Come on, douche bag, just try something, anything, I mentally egg him on. But he doesn't do it. He won't even say anything, even though I know that he wants to; I can see it in his eyes. I decide to drop my hand from his face, maybe then he'll feel froggy and jump.

"Simon," the guy behind me says, and I see through my peripheral that the guy behind Sebastian looks over at him. "Get him out of here."

The guy I now understand to be Simon, stands up, grabs Sebastian's left arm, and starts pulling him to his feet. "Come on," he says sternly, and I watch as he starts dragging Sebastian around the right corner of the building.

Wow! My mind is completely blown. This dude looks like a total nerd, with his glasses paired with the black t-shirt he's wearing that has a nutrition label on the front that reads, 'Gamer Nutritional Facts' with a lot of smaller print beneath it, and his dark brown hair done like Superman's; but the way he commanded Sebastian the way he did, well... I've never seen a nerd do something like that before.

"Hey," the other guy says as he puts his hand on my right shoulder, getting my attention. I look up at him, and he removes his right hand from my shoulder and stretches it out to me, helping me up from my squatted position. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I assure him, waving my left hand in a dismissive way in the process.

"You look like you could use a drink," he chuckles.

"I can't deny that," I laugh. "But I can't." He looks at me skeptically. "I'm in the middle of doing something for a friend, maybe some other time though."

"I'm going to hold you to it," he says smiling, then reaches his right hand back out to me. "I'm Jordan by the way."

I take his hand, again, and shake it. "Jace."

"Well, Jace," he says as we release each others hand. "I don't have any real plans tonight, so.. Do you want some help?"

I raise my right eyebrow at him. Is this dude serious? I could be out doing something completely illegal, and he wants to tag along. Then again, that could be why he wants to join me, so that he can see if what I'm doing is legal or not.

"Are you a cop?" I ask bluntly.

"No," he laughs. "Why? Do I really look like a cop?"

"Sort of," I say with a shrug. Now that he is standing closer, I can see that he is six foot two, built, with brown hair and hazel eyes, and is somewhere around my age; with a possible tan. I have to admit, he's a pretty good-looking dude; not better looking than me, of course, but not bad looking either.

"Well," he says, raising both his eyebrows at me in amusement. "I can assure you that I'm not."

"I wouldn't have anything against you if you were," I throw out there, just in case he thinks that I do. "It's just that what I'm doing might not be considered legal to some people."

"What are we talking about here?" he asks and then smiles, "Running around beating people up?"

"If it comes down to it," I say, returning his smile with one of my own. I guess he isn't going to give up, so I might as well tell him and let him join me. I motion for him to follow me and start walking back to my suv, and he falls in step beside me. "I'm keeping an eye on a friend. She was being watched earlier when we were out, and since her roommate isn't home yet, I decided to keep an eye on her and her place."

"Is this friend of yours single?"

"Yes, but don't even think about it."

"Chill out, dude," he says and I can see out the corner of my eye, that he throws his hands up in surrender. "I'm just fucking with you. She obviously means a lot to you, for you to be going through all this trouble for her."

I look over at him, a serious expression on my face and say, "When it comes to her, it's no trouble at all."

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed! I'm sorry if the chapter seems rushed, it does to me; but hey, it matches my life these past few weeks.**

 **Don't forget to leave me a review about your thoughts on this chapter, and what you think could still be coming their way! Do you think there is more to what happened between Valentine and Clary? What about Robert and Izzy?**

 **I'm also sorry that it has taken so long to finally update, but life has been going completely CRAZY! My brother was in a wreck, which totaled his car. I've not only had my children, but my brother's two as well. Had two days of Thanksgiving I had to cook for, and then had a dog try to attack me twice! I'm an animal person, but the next time that dog is in my yard I won't be! I'm not taking chances of it attacking one of these babies around here, and his owners have been warned. Anyhow, with all that going on among other things - a few of you know what I'm talking about, which I need to update you on - life has been go, go, go.**

 **No promises, but I hope to get another chapter posted soon. Fingers crossed!**

 **Follow, Favorite, Review! Mwah!**

* * *

 **Guest, how about that? Haha. I didn't make you wait to long (or at least not chapter wise) before finding out the base of why Izzy lives with Clary, why Clary is in high school but has her own place, and what's the problem they have against Robert! I loved your review! Keep them coming! Mwah!**


	5. That Phone Call

I'm walking in the empty field that is behind my father's house and memories start flooding in on me. This very same field is where Jonathan taught me to swing a baseball bat, and actually connect with a ball, when we were little. It's where we played all sorts of games; such as tag, hide-and-seek, and demon hunters. I chuckle at the memory of the hunts.

Jon _always_ wanted to be the leader, and would get so mad when dad, or mom, said it was my turn. But when Izzy and Alec would play with us, I always let him lead; even if it was my turn, and we didn't really have one, because it was more of a group effort. Thinking about it now, I don't know why I'd do that; I suppose it was just the thing to do when I was eight.

It's where the two of us would throw parties while our parents were gone; as well as, where he had helped me perfect my self-defense technique. It also just so happens to be the last place I seen him before he died. And I can still remember it like it was only yesterday.

It was before I had to go to school and he was laid in a lounge chair, staring out at the birds that were flying to and fro trying to find their breakfast, while he soaked up the sun; which was glistening off his hair, making it look even more platinum than even I could have thought possible. - I remember how it had reminded me of the glow of an angel. - He was wearing blue jeans, and his school hoodie; black with gold writing that read, 'Alicante Institute.'

I had went out to him and asked if he wanted me to get his work for the day, and he told me no because it would mean he'd have to do it, which made me laugh. Then he pulled me down next to him, and told me to sit with him until Alec and Izzy got there to pick me up; I agreed and snuggled up to him. He was burning up, so I apologized for making him sick. He told me that it wasn't my fault, and that is was bound to happen sooner or later, since it was going around the school; but I still felt guilty. I told him that I hoped he got to feeling better soon, and he pulled me into him tighter, telling me he already did because I was next to him and that I was the best medicine in the world. We sat there in silence, snuggled up to each other and watching the birds, until I heard Alec's horn. I gave him a squeeze while telling him that I loved him and would see him after school, then I placed a kiss on his cheek. He kissed the top of my head, told me he loved me too, then said not if he seen me first while he laughed. I pinched his side and tried to jump up before he could get me back, but failed. He pulled me back into him and started tickling me. I was laughing and yelling mercy, but he didn't stop until mom yelled for me to hurry up before I was late for school, which allowed me to escape. Jon then told me that he'd finish what I started later, and I stuck my tongue out at him; he stomped his right foot at me, like he was about to get up and come after me, and I took off running to the house, laughing the whole way.

The memory of that morning has silent tears running down my cheeks, I miss my brother _so_ much. He was the one I'd go to when I was feeling blue. The one I'd go to if I-

I feel a tap on my right shoulder, but when I turn my head to look, there's nobody there. Then I feel a tap on my left shoulder, and this time when I turn to look, I can't believe my eyes.

"What's the matter?" He asks softly and reaches up with his right hand, brushing his fingers against my wet, left cheek. Still in shock, I slowly turn completely around, so that I can face him, and he reaches up with both hands now and wipes away the tears with his thumbs. "Clary, don't cry."

I open my mouth, but what I want to say doesn't come out; so I swallow hard, and try again. "Is it really you?"

Still not what I wanted to say, but it's better than standing there, moving my mouth, and nothing coming out.

"In the flesh," he says with a smile, and motioning up and down his body with his hands.

"But.. you can't be. Can you?"

He laughs. "Well, I'm here aren't I?"

"How?"

"That's not important, but if you must know, it was you," he says becoming serious, and cupping my face in his hands. He slouches down some, and looks me straight in the eyes. "You brought me here, Clary."

"That isn't possible, is it?" I ask, shaking my head as best as I can, considering I have two large hands practically swallowing my face at the moment, and I'm to afraid to try moving them; this could just be a figment of my imagination, and I don't want it to end just yet.

"Why don't you just quit asking questions, and give your big brother a hug," he says instead of asking with a smile on his face.

Without even giving it a second thought, I throw myself at him, wrapping my arms around him and squeezing him tight. "I've missed you so much, Jon," I say with tears of joy streaming down my face. "You have no idea."

"I know, Clare," he says sadly, stroking my hair with his right hand as his left arm holds me close. "I've missed you, too."

"I've been so lost without you," I say, burying my face into his chest. "Its felt like I've had a hole in my heart, and it just kept getting bigger."

"I know that, too," he says, then sighs. "I want you to listen to me, Clary, and I need you to really listen to what I'm about to say. You have got to quit thinking that everybody is going to end up hurting you, and start letting people in." I shake my head no against his chest. "Yes, Clary. The sooner you do that, the sooner you will find that hole you were just talking about getting smaller. And you have to do it for me, because I want to see you happy again."

"But, I am happy." I say, and I am, now that he's here. He's the one thing that I've been needing to make me one hundred percent happy; not some fake friends, or a guy that is going to screw me over, or even my so-called father; none of them, just my big brother.

I feel him shake his head no against my own. "You say that, and I know you probably even believe it to an extent, but I know that's not true." He kisses the top of my head and I squeeze him even tighter. I've missed these moments, and it feels like it's been a lifetime ago since I've had one with him; his hugs and kisses as he tries to comfort me, and make me see reason. "And, I also know, that there is somebody out there that can, _and will_ , make you happier than you use to be, and that, that person is going to treat you the way you deserve; all you have to do is open up."

He says it like it is a fact and not just some theory of his, and as if he knows who this mystery person is, so I pull back to ask him who, - I can spare myself a lot of trouble if I know. - but he's not there anymore; instead another person stands in his place, with his hands sliding down my arms as I step back. "Jace? What-"

I open my eyes to the sound of my phone ringing, and groan as I look over at my clock; it's two forty-five a.m. Pushing the crazy dream I was just having from the forefront of my mind, I quickly snatch up my phone, guessing that it must be an emergency. But who? Wait, Izzy might not have made it home yet, so it could be her. _Oh please, by the angel, let her be alright!_

"Izzy?" I ask in panic as I answer it, the caller id reading unavailable.

"No," says an unfamiliar male voice, and it sounds like there are people in the background talking faintly; but I can't make out what they're saying. "Try again."

"Jace, this shit ain't funny!" I say, knowing that Alec wouldn't do something like this. "I swear, I'm going to hurt you, and whoever gave you my number."

"Jace is at home, asleep in his bed," the voice says knowingly and then laughs. "So he can't help you, _this time_. By the way, I just wanted to let you know that, that's a pretty green nightgown, it really brings out the red in your hair."

"Who the fuck is this then?!" I ask, as I slowly stand up and start making my way over to my window. _Maybe I can get a good look and finally end this_ , I think as I look out the window. But I don't see anybody, not even a vehicle they could be sitting in; the only thing out there is shadows cast from the pole lights against the trees and balconies. "And where the hell are you?!"

"That's a secret," the voice says, and the way he says it gives me the creeps.

"Look," I say backing away from the window, and deciding that I'll go see if Izzy's in her room. Whoever this is could've done something to her, and I need to know that, that's not the case. "I'm not in to playing all these childish games, so either tell me who you are, where you are, and what you want, or leave me the hell alone!" I say, my voice raising to a yell before I'm done.

The voice starts laughing, an evil type of laugh, and I hear at least two females laughing with him. "You will find all that out when we're ready for you to know," the voice says menacingly, then hangs up.

I drop my hand, and the phone, down to my right side, just as I make it to Izzy's bedroom door; it's closed, which is unusual. - In the time that she's lived here with me, the only time the door has been shut was when she was on the phone with Maryse, or Alec, and didn't want to wake me; but both of them are most likely in bed. Then there was the one time she brought home some Meliorn guy, that she had met at an end of the school year party. - But this would explain why she didn't come running to see what was wrong when I went to yelling, she didn't hear it.

I put my left hand on the doorknob, and not knowing what to expect on the other side of this door, I take a deep breath. Slowly, I turn the knob and ease the door open just enough to peek inside; I expel the breath I was holding out my mouth, Izzy is asleep in her bed, alone. So, I quietly close the door, and begin making my way up the hall and to the kitchen.

Once I make it into the kitchen, I turn on the coffee pot; I know that there is no way that I am going to be able to sleep, at least not anytime soon, not after that phone call. Then I reach over to my left, opening the drawer where we keep a little bit of everything, and grab a pen and a notepad out. I know how I'll pass the time, I'll make a list of anyone that may have a grudge against me, or just want to screw with me, and try narrowing it down; starting with Sebastian.

* * *

 **Jace**

I wake from another one of my strange dreams to the sound of my alarm clock blaring, and growl as I roll over to slap it. I just want it to shut up, I'm tired of never being able to finish one of these dreams, and right now I just want some more sleep. However, just as I start to doze back off, I hear a knock on my door.

"Jace, time to get up," Maryse says sweetly from the other side. "You don't want to be late on your first day."

"I'm up," I call back to her as I quickly sit straight up. I can't believe I had forgotten about school.

I stand up, rubbing my hands together, as I make my way to my dresser. Today is the day I'm going to start putting my plan that I came up with last night, with some help of my new friend Jordan, into motion.

* * *

I enter the kitchen to find Alec sitting on a stool at the island, staring into oblivion; his left arm laid across the countertop with a cup of steaming coffee in his hand, a plate in front of him with eggs, bacon, and toast on it, and a piece of toast in his right hand as he mindlessly brings it to his mouth.

"Good morning," he says as I walk past him to the coffee pot.

"Good morning," I say cheerfully as I grab a coffee cup out of the cupboard, and pour myself a cup, then begin making a plate of my own. I was lucky if I was able to get a cup of coffee before I had to leave the house back home, so I could get use to this in no time.

"Long night?" He asks, a tinge of amusement in his voice, and I simply nod my head yes.

"Well," Alec says after a short moment of silence. "Are you going to tell me what happened last night between you and Clary, or am I going to have to pry it out of you?"

"Nothing happened," I inform him, smiling down at my plate that I'm still piling food on. "She told me the reason she is in school still, but has her own place, a-"

"She did?" Alec asks incredulously, cutting me off before I can finish telling him everything. "But, she doesn't tell anybody about that."

"Well, she told me," I say proudly with a shrug. "She also told me what caused it," I add, picking up my plate and cup. When I turn around, I see that Alec's eyes are bulging out of his head. I make my way over to the island and sit down to his right before asking, "What?"

"It's just that-that," he clears his throat. "She has never told anybody, and I do mean _anybody_ , that stuff. I mean, yeah sure, Izzy, mom, dad, and me, all know about it, but that's because we were right there with her when it was all happening. She stayed here when Valentine started-"

"Wait," I interrupt him. "Who's Valentine?"

"Her dad," he says simply, his eyebrows furrowed together when he looks at me.

"Oh," I say, bringing a piece of bacon to my mouth. He raises his eyebrows at me, as if he doesn't believe that she told me, so I explain. "She didn't mention his name, she just called him dad."

"That makes sense," he mumbles under his breath, looking down at his plate. I'm getting the sneaky suspicion that there's more to the story. He starts playing with his eggs, flipping them around his plate, then after a short moment says, "Why don't you just tell me, what she did tell you."

I take a deep breath and begin telling him, word for word, what she told me, and he nods along as I do; not once does he look at me, the whole time he just sits there, continuing to play with his eggs. I know now, that there is definitely more to what happened; and not because Alec has told me anything, because he hasn't, but because of his lack of saying, or doing, anything gives it away. I mean, I know he lost a friend, but seriously, his facial features never change from the solemn one he is displaying, and all he does is nod.

I start going into what happened after we got to her place, and he finally looks over at me; his expression lightening up.

"She punched you, didn't she?" He asks with a chuckle, after I tell him how I tried to stop her from taking my jacket off by pulling the front of it together and holding it there. "Because don't think I haven't noticed that your lip is busted, and your left eye looks puffy, and has a little bruising going on with it too."

"No," I laugh. "That isn't from her. She only handed me my jacket and walked off. This," I make a circling motion around my face with my left hand, "is from a little run in I had with Sebastian afterwards." I chuckle. "I wonder what he looks like this morning, if he can even get out of bed."

Alec opens his mouth, but before he can say or ask whatever it is, Maryse walks in, and he closes his mouth.

She takes one good look at me, then shakes her head. "I hope whatever it was that you were fighting over was worth it," she says as she walks past us.

I look over at Alec, and quickly glance over in Maryse's direction, silently asking him if I should tell her. He shakes his head no so slightly that if I hadn't been looking right at him, I would have missed it.

Deciding that I had better say something, before she starts asking question, I simply tell her, "It was," as I look back to my plate, then take a bite of my eggs that are now cold.

"Good," she says, and I can hear her putting a cup into the sink. "But, it had _better not_ become a regular occurrence, Jace Herondale," she warns, strictly, and I gulp down the food I had in my mouth. "You got in enough trouble back home, and I will not allow you to fall into that same path here."

"Yes, ma'am," I say, agreeing easily.

If she knew the real reason I was getting into so much trouble there she'd probably call me stupid. I mean, I would purposely start fights for no reason, skip school and then call to report myself and my location, and tell the well-known, school snitch, that I was about to go have sex with whichever bimbo it was, - usually Kailee - and where it was going to happen at, just so I _could get busted_ and finally expelled. Sure, my home life wasn't the greatest, but that wasn't going to do any real good there. So, my reason behind it all was simple. I knew I would be allowed to move here, and _the_ main purpose for that... Clary!

* * *

"Jace," Maryse says, pulling my attention away from the game of rock, paper, scissors, I was playing with Max and Alec. She grabs her black, suede bag off the dining room table, then slides the strap of it over her right shoulder. "Since I took you and got you enrolled yesterday, I trust that you can find the school on your own today and don't need me to take you. Right?"

"Yes, ma'am," I say, nodding my head.

She looks at me with both of her eyebrows raised, and using her right index finger, points at me. "And you _are_ going to stay at school for all your classes, correct?"

"Yes," I sigh. Maybe I should just tell her and let her call me stupid, because this is exhausting.

"That means that you are going to actually attend classes, and not.." she pauses and looks over at Max, then back to me. "Just save the _extracurriculars_ for after school."

"I will," I assure her.

"Good," she says, walking over to us. When she gets to the island she stops, grabs her thermos that reads, 'I'm a Mom, and a Professor, I've got this,' then looks at her watch. "Alright, Max," she says looking to her left at him. "It's time to get going. So say your goodbyes, and meet me at the car."

"Okay," Max sighs, and jumps down from the stool he was sitting on. He gives Alec a hug. "Bye, Alec. Good luck today."

"Thanks, Max." Alec says, pulling back. "Do you remember your spelling words?"

"Uh-huh," Max nods, and they high five. He then takes a sidestep to his right, and reaches up as I lean down, and the two of us hug. "Bye, Jace. Have fun at school."

"You too, buddy," I say as we pull back from each other. I stick my left hand on his hair, and start moving it from left to right, right to left. "You better get going, before you're running late."

He starts trying to flatten his hair back down, and scoffs. "You messed up my-"

"Oh, Alec," Maryse says, interrupting his grumbling, and popping her head back in the pane glass door; the maroon colored curtain floating back down against it. "Don't forget, I need you to pick Max up from Izzy and Clary's this afternoon. I've got that committee meeting, and then your dad is going to take me out to dinner afterwards, so you're going to have to cook too; unless you want to order pizza, or have us bring you guys something home."

"I completely forgot," Alec admits, slapping his hand hard against his forehead, then slowly sliding it down the right side of his face. "I have that study group with Magnus and the others tonight. But I guess I could see if they mind rescheduling."

"No you don't," I say quickly, standing up from my seat. "I'll pick him up, and feed him, while you guys do what you have to do."

"Really? You sure?" Maryse asks.

"Yeah," I shrug. "I told him that I'd take him out for ice cream today, anyway."

"Okay, well if you really don't mind," she says slowly, as if she's waiting for me to change my mind; and I can see Max out the corner of my eye, dancing around in a circle with both his index fingers taking turns going into the air and back down as he does.

"I really don't," I say, laughing at the both of them. "But you might want to get out of here before you and Max are late."

"Shoot! Come on, Max." Max runs over to the door, snatching his backpack off the back of a dining room chair on his way, before vanishing out of sight; his coat flying behind him like a cape the whole way. As Maryse starts shutting the door, I hear her say, "Thank you, Jace. You two learn something today!"

"I suppose that we need to get going, too." I say, looking over at Alec. He's smiling and shakes his head no. "What?" I ask with a chuckle.

"You, my friend," he stabs his long, bony finger into my right bicep, "have to get going. I on the other hand, don't have class until after nine."

"That's right," I sigh, then shrug. "I guess, I'm off then. I'll see you sometime tonight."

"Maybe," he snickers, and I shake my head with a smile on my face as I playfully roll my eyes at him. "Have fun today."

"I plan to," I say grabbing my jacket and shrugging it on, and he laughs.

I walk over to the door, and when I open it, the cool breeze hits me, causing me to sharply inhale in shock - I really hadn't expected it to be this chilly out. - and I get a whiff of a scent that I had gotten use to last night; it's a mix between mangoes and peaches, and I'm not really sure where it is coming from. Making my way across the driveway to my Equinox, it dawns on me... Clary had on my jacket last night, and that's what she smelled like. I smile at the thought of how, I'm going to get to smell Clary all day.

* * *

 **Clary**

After I'm done getting ready for school, I make my way up the hall, only to find Izzy still in the kitchen. - It really didn't come as a surprise, though. Because after all, she did have to wake me up, since I had fallen asleep with my head on the bar. - She is heating something up in the microwave as she stands there staring at it, a cup of coffee held with both hands, approximately half an inch away from her bright, red lips.

She looks over at me as I come to a stop beside her, and gives me a half smile. "I've got us both a cinnamon roll reheating."

"Thank you," I say with a small smile, tilting my head to my left, and resting it against her right arm.

"Are you sure you want to go to school today?" she asks sounding worried, laying her head over on mine, and my smile falls.

"Yeah," I sigh. "I'm not going to let whoever it is, keep me from living my life. Plus, I want to see if I can catch whoever it is. I mean, they have to go to school with us, right?"

The microwave sounds off with its always annoying beeping, and the two of us split apart; she steps up to it, opening it's door, and I grab a couple of small napkins for us.

"I don't know," she says carefully sliding the plate out, and the two of us walk over to the bar; meeting it at the same time, and leaning against its countertop, with the plate in-between us. "With that phone call though, I still say that you should stay home and go file a report down at the police station."

I sigh. I heard this for nearly twenty minutes after I filled her in, and I really don't want to hear it anymore. "And like I said earlier, they aren't going to try anything at school." I grab one of the cinnamon rolls, and as I pick it up, the icing starts dripping; so I take my left index finger, wipe it up off the plate, and stick my finger in my mouth, sucking the icing off of it before pulling my finger out and changing the subject. "So, I've already got a good idea that it was, but I want to ask you anyway. Was last night a set up?"

"No," she says sounding offended, and I raise my right eyebrow at her; the look on my face showing her my disbelief. She picks up her cinnamon roll with her right hand, and raises her left hand in the air. "I swear on the angel, that I did _not_ have anything to do with Jace bringing you home. You should know that. Like I wanted to-"

"No, not that," I say interrupting her, after I swallow my mouthful. "I know that wasn't your idea. I'm talking about the whole, having Jace go trick-or-treating with Max, and us."

She moves her cinnamon roll to her mouth, taking a big bite - like half of the large roll is now in her mouth - and trying her hardest not to smile. "Can't talk, I've got food in my mouth," she says pointing at her mouth with her left index finger.

"I knew it," I say happily; not because of the situation that I'm talking about, but because I was in fact right.

"You knew nothing," she laughs, her mouth still full, and starts choking; so I start patting her on her back. She stops, puts a finger up, indicating for me to wait a minute, as she finishes chewing; so while I wait on her, I finish off my cinnamon roll. "I wasn't for certain that it would happen," she says after finally swallowing. "Max loves Jace, as much as he does you, so I had a good idea that it would. I mean, I know how much Jace likes you, so I knew if Max _were_ to ask him, that he'd say yes."

"Okay, I don't want to talk about that anymore," I grumble. "But, I do want to know what happened with your ' _talk_ ' with Robert last night," I say, using my fingers to put air quotes around the word talk.

"Ugh, he wants me to move back in," she says in disgust and rolling her eyes. "He says, 'You've been gone long enough, and I want us to be a real family, again,'" she says mocking him, and pooching out her chest as she moves her shoulders up and down; left one up, right one down, and vice versa. "And he actually thought that Alec would help him motivate me into doing it." She takes a deep breath through her nose, and releases it slowly through her mouth. "But enough about that. What did you do after you got home? Go right to bed?" She laughs as she asks the last question.

"No," I say tiredly. "I scrubbed Sebastian off of me, then I went to bed."

"Wait, what?" she asks shaking her head in confusion, then looks at me with wide eyes.

"That's kind of what I thought, too, when I realized who I had just punched."

"You punched him?" She asks laughing and trying to hide her smile behind her right hand, and what's left of her roll.

"Damn straight I did! He shouldn't have been lurking in the dark waiting for me."

"So you had to scrub him off of you, because you punched him?" She asks her eyebrows raised, and a smile still on her face.

"Not even close," I say, raising both my eyebrows at her and pooching my lips out. "Try he thought he was going to get him some, because when he kissed me, I screwed up and kissed him back; and when I tried to stop it, he wasn't wanting to take no for an answer."

"Are you serious?" She asks, quickly standing straight up and dropping her roll onto the plate; and there's a look in her eyes that tells me, she wants to kill him.

"Calm down, Iz." I say soothingly, hoping that it helps. "He didn't get far, and I'm alright," I inform her, but it still doesn't seem to be working; and I can see now, that her hands are balled up into fist at her sides. So I decide to give her a little more reassurance, that might possibly do the trick. "A matter of fact, I kicked him in his gut before leaving him on the ground of our door stoop."

"I don't care!" she shouts, then shakes her head; her face red with anger, and if this were a cartoon, I swear that she'd have steam coming out of her ears. "I mean, I do care that you're alright, but I'm going to kill him. No, even better, I'm going to chop off his dick, and feed it to him! He's never done something like that to you before, has he?" She asks through clinched teeth.

"No," I say shaking my head. "But when we were together, after I lost my v card to him, I never told him no when he wanted to get frisky. And you already know how we both liked to get rough with each other, so that part wasn't really a surprise to me."

"Well, did he hit you again?" she asks bluntly.

"No, Izzy, he didn't hit me again," I say exasperatedly.

"What about threatening you?" she quickly asks. "Did he do that again?"

"No," I breathe out. "But I did threaten him, _again_."

"Oh, just _wait_ until Alec hears about what he did, he's going to help me kill him," she says dramatically; her head moving about in all different directions and bringing her fists up by her chest, clinching them so tight that the top half of her body starts to shake. "Not to mention Jace. Jace is going to-"

"NO!" I yell, cutting off her rant. "Why do you think Jace needs to know anything?! We aren't a couple, we are _not_ friends, we're absolutely _nothing_ to each other, so you aren't going to tell him anything! Alec, sure. Hell, I'll tell him myself! Because if he finds out from somebody else, he's going to be pissed at me too. But Jace, positively not!"

While I'm going off with my rant, her eyes are getting wider and wider, and she throws her hands up by her head in surrender. But I completely understand where it is all coming from, I honestly can't remember ever going off on her like this. I mean, sure, we've gotten into little arguments throughout the years, and we've both had to put our foot down a time or two with the other, but it has _never_ been anything like this. Then again, neither has the topic.

"Okay, okay," she says, her hands still in the air on both sides of her head. "I won't say a word about it to him."

"Thank you," I breathe.

"You're welcome," she says, slowly bringing her hands down to her sides. She looks down at the plate on the bar, picks her cinnamon roll back up, and then looks back at me; her right eyebrow raised. "I take it the ride home with Jace didn't go so well."

"It wasn't horrible," I say shrugging my right shoulder, and glancing up at the clock that hangs in the dining room to my right.

"Well, spill," she says eagerly.

Ugh! Not really what I want to talk about. I mean, it really wasn't a disaster. Well, other than me telling him more than he needed to know. But, I just want to put it, _and him_ , in the review mirror - just like I have done with a lot of other people - and continue on with my life. However, I know that she isn't going to let the subject drop either, and it will help keep her calm, so I suppose I could appease her.

"It's seven thirty-five." I say looking back to her, and a look of disappointment crosses her face. I sigh at her impatience, and shake my head slightly. "Come on. I'll tell you all about it on the way to school."

* * *

 **Sorry it has taken so long to update. Life keeps getting in the way of that. Ugh! Lol. Anyhow, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it. I just wish I could write and post a new one everyday, like I did with a couple of my other stories, it's driving me crazy that I can't! So, no promises on when I'll be updating again. But, hopefully, it's sooner rather than later.**

 **Anyhow, Jace really gives off that stalker vibe, don't he? Lol. And Clary, wow! That dream, and phone call. What do you think it all means? Let me know what your thoughts are with a review! I love reading what you all think!**

 **Merry Christmas, for those who celebrate it! Hope everyone has had a good one, or whichever holiday you may celebrate! Much Love! Mwah!**

 **Don't forget to review, follow, and favorite!**


	6. Nothing To Talk About

**I know, I know, I know. I'm seriously behind on updates. I haven't forgotten, I promise. Life is just really crazy, still, and add in having problems with either my internet, fanfic itself, or my computer - which one, I don't know - I haven't been able to get anything posted when I wanted. UGh! I have had this chapter in my Doc Manager at least five times now, but that was as far as I could get. After that, I was unable to pull up Manage Stories, and do all that good stuff. I have also had this chapter, as well as others, on my computer since my last post. Crazy, right?. Anyhow, I am sorry. Forgive me? Those of you that followed me while I did High School Sweethearts (HHS) 1 & 2, you know that I would post a new chapter everyday, it just hasn't been allowed with this one, or HHS 3, and it really irks me. That's putting it nicely, lol. **

**One last thing before I let you get to reading this chapter. I'm not sure when I'm going to be able to get the next chapter posted. Soon I hope. I seriously think this is a miracle that I've gotten this far today. This chapter has 4 days left until it is cleared away, from a 90 day grace period; that's how long it has been on here, this time. So, fingers crossed.**

* * *

"Hey," Izzy chuckles lowly from where she stands; she's leaned back against the locker to my left, and has her right knee bent, with the heel of her right boot against one of the bottom lockers. I pull my attention away from the inside of my locker to look over at her, and she tilts her head to her right. "I guess you did more damage to him than you thought."

I glance over in the direction that she has indicated, and see Sebastian coming down the hallway, - probably heading to his locker, which is just six down and to the right of mine - staring at me, a smirk on his face, with a cup of coffee from Java Jones' in his right hand and a book in his left. He's wearing a black denim jacket over a charcoal gray shirt, black jeans, and black work boots; both of his eyes look swollen and blackish, and the closer he gets, I can tell that the right side of his bottom lip has been split and his nose looks a little swollen, too.

"I guess he did that when he hit the wall," I say with a shrug, turning back to my locker. "But that was his own fault," I grab my calculus book, then shut the locker door. "Let's get to class."

And with that, we start heading in the direction that Sebastian is coming from. As we go to pass by him, he winks and makes a kissing noise as he pushes his lips out at me.

"Mm," I groan unenthused as I roll my eyes and Izzy makes a gagging noise; neither of which seem to affect him, because he reaches for my left arm anyway. "Don't even," I say, pulling it out of his reach, and continue walking.

"I swear, he is still obsessed with you," Izzy says. "Do you think it could've been him that called you?"

"I don't know," I shrug. "But, I intend to find out."

* * *

Izzy and I separate to take our seats; her on the left side of the classroom, and me on the right side. - We were separated for talking during class at the beginning of the school year. - I sit down in my seat and look up at the board to find that there is no lesson written on it yet; so I look down at my notebook, flip it over, and start doodling on the back of it while I wait for class to start.

Not even five minutes later the bell rings, and I hear people quickly taking their seats.

"Good morning, class," Mr. Scott's voice booms, and I look up. The middle-aged man is walking into the classroom as his greenish-gray eyes scan the student body, his blond hair that is streaked with gray, is parted on the left and combed neatly to the right, - the same way as every other day - and I swear on the angel, that this man does not know how to dress casual, because once again, he is dressed in a business suit, and today's color is brown.

In return he is greeted with a few mumbled hello's.

He shuts the door and begins making his way to his desk, as he says, "I trust that everybody is well rested, and ready to start class."

"No," the whole class grumbles, including myself.

"Well, that's to bad, because we have a lot we need to cover today." He sits down, and starts to call roll.

"Present," I answer when he calls out my name.

"Okay," he says once he is finished, and stands up. "Now let's put everything else under our seats, except for a pencil; it's pop quiz time." We all moan and groan as we start putting our things under our chairs. "Don't worry. If you were paying attention in class yesterday," he starts passing out the quiz, "you have nothing to worry about."

After he hands me mine, I look down at it; there's problems for differentiating the chain rule, the product rule, and the quotient rule. Thankfully there are only thirty problems, - ten for each - so I should be able to get through this rather quickly; however, I groan inwardly anyway. I _really_ don't want to do this, I was hoping for an assignment that I could just zone out on and do later; good news is though, I shouldn't have any homework for this class.

* * *

 **Jace**

"I know you have a record from your previous school, but your grades were still phenomenal." Principal Penhallow says from behind her large wooden desk, looking over my transcript with her dark brown, round almond shaped eyes. "So, I'm going to let you keep the classes you've chosen for yourself."

"Thank you," I say politely, sliding forward in the chair I'm sitting in across from her. She looks up at me, her straight, somewhat short, dark black hair framing her face.

"I wasn't finished just yet, Mr. Herondale," she says firmly with her right eyebrow raised.

"I'm sorry for interrupting you, Mrs. Penhallow." You better watch it, I tell myself. You don't know this woman, and you don't want to be kicked out of school; especially, before you even get to start your first class.

"You are forgiven," she says with a small nod of her head. She places her hands on her desk, neatly folding them together, before continuing. "I am placing you on a probationary period. You are to maintain no grade lower than a B, in any of your classes, for the rest of this semester; if you would like to get the credit for them.

"You will also attend all of your classes, unless you have proof that you were not there for a good reason. Examples would be.. Doctors, in which you can request a note, proving you were there. If you are to stay home sick and choose not to go to a doctor, a note from your parent, or legal guardian, will suffice. If you go to court for some reason, the judge's secretary can give you a note stating that you were there from blank time to blank time; you do not have to specify why, as that is your personal business. We have had some students spend the night in jail before, if that is to happen to you, a letter from a staff member at the police department, or even your parent, or guardian, will work.

"Starting fights will not be tolerated. Although, if you can prove that you did not start the altercation, and that you were just defending yourself, you will not suffer any disciplinary actions here at school. However, what happens at home may be a different story.

"Do you understand and accept all of these terms?" She ask, looking at me expectantly.

"Yes, ma'am, I do."

"Good," she says simply as she stands. "Now let's get you to class."

* * *

Mrs. Penhallow peeks through the small window of the classroom door that we have stopped in front of, then quietly opens it and motions for me to follow her as she starts to make her way inside.

As I make my way into the room, I glance around; everybody is quiet with their heads down, as they concentrate on the work in front of them. Even the teacher has his head down.

"This is your new student, Jace Herondale," Mrs. Penhallow whispers to the teacher behind the desk, as we come to a stop beside it; and I glance down to see what he's working on.

"Thank you, Jia," he says lowly, looking up from the papers he was grading. - Wow! His eyebrows look like big caterpillars, but I suppose everybody can't look as good as me. Oh who am I kidding, I laugh inwardly. Nobody can look this good.

"I can see you're busy, so I'll leave you two to it," she says, then turns around on her heel. She puts her right hand on my right shoulder, and with a small smile says, "If you have any problems finding your classes today, just come by my office and I'll have somebody take you." She turns her head away from me, removing her hand as she does, and takes a step towards the door, before stopping and looking back to me. "And welcome to the Alicante Institute." Then she walks off.

The teacher, - that I still don't knows name, and there's no sign of it anywhere in the classroom - pulls out the shelf on the top, left side of his desk, scans a piece of paper taped on it with his left index finger before stopping in one spot, then turns to me. "We'll have formal introductions later, but for now," he stands up and points towards the class, "take a seat there."

I follow his finger to the seat he was talking about; it's at the last table, at the back, right corner of the room, by the door. - Alright! I'll be able to make a quick exit when class lets out, and hopefully bump into Clary! - I'm nearly to the table when I can finally see between the tall, dirty blond headed guy, and the tall, dark brown headed guy, that are both wearing letterman jackets, and I blink in shock. I've got the whole table to myself! I take my seat, then look up at the clock; forty-five minutes down, only forty-five minutes to go.

* * *

 **Clary**

I walk back into class from using the restroom, - with all the coffee I've drank this morning, I had to piss like a racehorse - and immediately feel eyes on me. I turn in my hall pass to Mr. Scott, and make my way back to my seat, only to find Jace, of all people, sitting in the chair next to mine. He's looking at me with a huge ear to ear grin, as he runs his left hand through his golden blond hair. And all I can think as I take my seat is.. _You have got to be kidding me!_ This has got to be some kind of joke, right?

I quickly look over in Izzy's direction, and luckily she's looking at me, too. Without turning my head, I move my eyes in the direction of where Jace sits; mentally asking her if she knew about this, and she shakes her head no. I roll my eyes, and she pulls her right shoulder up to her ear, and gives me an apologetic look.

I huff and sit back in my seat, folding my arms across my chest and crossing my right ankle over my left, as I look straight ahead; which just so happens to be the back of Edward Longford's letterman jacket, that has a couple of his dark brown strands of hair that he has loss on the Alicante part of it.

"You look beautiful," Jace whispers, breaking the silence between us.

"Thank you," I say quietly, refusing to look over at him. "But, I know you're lying."

I'm wearing a no-yank, black tank top that has purple flowers on it, with my unzipped, black leather jacket over it, blue jeans, and a pair of black, four inch heeled boots to give me a little height. I have my hair pulled back in a low ponytail with a simple, black ponytail holder, and my make-up is more of a natural look; consisting of a light brown eyeshadow, with a little bit of black eyeliner and mascara, a small touch of pink blush, and peach colored lipstick. Nothing special, and none of which really shows off the small curves that I do have. So I know that it is not anything that would warrant anybody's _real_ attention, and that's just the way I like it these days. - Not that I ever really dressed to impress anybody before, but still. - And I know that I am far from beautiful, I use to think I was, but now I just consider myself as decent. Because, unspeakable things don't happen to beautiful people.

"No, I'm not," he says, his voice full of certainty, and I can feel the heat starting to rise in my face. By the angel, _please don't let him notice!_ "You _are_ beautiful."

Using my right hand, I pull my hair down, and fan it out on the right side of my face; trying to use it like a curtain to hide the blush that I know has become visible now. "Thanks. But you better be quiet before Mr. Scott gives us detention, since he unfortunately can't separate us; like he did Izzy and me."

"Where is Izzy?" he asks. "Maryse said that she was in this class first period, that's why I took it so early."

"She's over there," I say agitated, fiercely pointing my right index finger in her direction. I _really_ don't want to spend an extra hour of my time at school this afternoon, not to mention with _him_. "Now, shh."

The two of us fall into silence, and I can feel Jace's eyes on me still, so after a few minutes pass of him staring at me, - I swear, it feels like holes are being burnt into the side of my head. - I reach under my chair and pull my notebook back out; hoping that, _that_ will be enough to make him look away, but it doesn't. He continues to watch me as I slide the pencil out of the metal spiral binding, flip it open, and begin doodling again; this time using the inside of its cardboard backing.

Only a few seconds after that, I feel, which I can safely assume is Jace, brush up against my right shoulder.

"You know," he says softly through my hair into my ear, and I quiver; my entire body getting a warm, tingling sensation and goosebumps, that I can feel but not see. What is wrong with me?! Hold it together, _damn,_ girl! "I like it when you wear your hair down, _way better_ than when you have it pulled back."

* * *

The bell _finally_ rings, signaling the end of first period, and I quickly gather up my things, then bolt out the classroom and down the hall like lightening; not even waiting for Izzy, like I usually do. All the while thinking how, _this has got to be some cruel joke from the universe_. I mean, why else would Jace, the guy I want so badly to avoid, just so happen to be in my first class of the day, after coming into my life so abruptly. And not only be in my class, but be assigned the seat right next to mine.

Yeah, sure, all the other spots have already been assigned, because Mr. Scott said on the first day of the school year, that where you sat at that day, would be your seat until the term was over, and Izzy was already moved into the only empty seat, but I don't want to be stuck next to Jace until Christmas.

"This isn't funny," I mumble under my breath, opening my locker.

I shove my book and notebook for calculus into my locker, the two making a thud against the back of it, then snatch my books for my next class out before slamming the door shut and quickly making my way to second period. As much as I'm not ready to be in that class just yet, I don't want to take any chances of running in to Jace in the halls.

* * *

 **Jace**

"Where was Clary off to in such a rush?" I ask Izzy as the two of us make our way out of the classroom and into the hall, heading right; my new book in my left hand, that hangs carelessly down to my side, and she holds hers in her right hand, her wrist bent so that her book is tucked in towards her body.

"She was probably trying to get away from you," she laughs, and I look over to my left at her with my eyebrows raised; completely unamused. "What?" she asks with a smile and lifting her shoulders slightly. "You know I'm probably right."

"It still wasn't funny," I say, looking back in front of me at the mass of bodies that are crashing against each other as they scramble to make their way to their lockers and next class.

"I know," she sighs. "I'm sorry. But I did tell you last night that Clary wasn't going to be an easy person to get to know, so did Alec," she says sadly, then sighs, _again_. "She's got a wall up, and refuses to take it down."

"Yeah, I know," I say somberly. "Alec told me that, too." Then I smirk as I remember my plan. "But, I've got my ways around that."

"Oh, really," she says, and I can hear the amusement in her voice. "By all means, do tell."

"It's a secret," I laugh. "But you'll find out," I shrug, "eventually."

"Whatever," she snorts. Then suddenly she hits me in my arm. "By the way, I thought you hated taking classes that made you think so early in the day."

"I do."

"So what on earth made you take calculus as your first class?"

"You're mom told me you were in there, so I thought I'd be able to cheat off you," I say, chuckling at the end. I glance over at her, and she's looking at me with a half smile and her eyebrows raised; her dark brown eyes asking a sarcastic 'oh really,' and causing me to laugh shortly. "No seriously, though, I thought it'd be fun to take a class with you. And at least I'd have somebody to help keep me awake if I started falling asleep."

"Well, I hope you know, that you got me blamed for a minute."

"Blamed for what?" I ask as she comes to a stop by what I guess is her locker, so I stop as well. "And by who?"

I guess it's not hers because she turns her body to look at me, instead of opening it up. "By a pretty little red head. She thought that I knew about it but didn't tell her. I know she thought I had set the whole thing up, just like last night."

"But you did set last night up," I chuckle.

"Shhh," she says, putting her left index finger up to her lips that are pushed out as she makes the noise. She looks around, as if she's looking for Clary, or somebody that might tell her, then rest her eyes back on me. "She doesn't _exactly_ know that."

"What do you mean, exactly?" I ask cautiously.

"Come on, walk with me," she says, grabbing ahold to my right arm, spinning me around as she walks around me, and starts heading back in the direction we were going just a moment ago. "She thinks that I only had an idea that it would happen, which I did at first, but she doesn't know that I promised Max five dollars to do it."

"Why did you pay him to ask anyway?" I ask incredulously, as I continue to let her drag me down the long corridor; even though she doesn't really have to, since I'm actually trying to keep a slow pace so that she can keep up with me.

"He didn't think that you'd want to come with us, that you'd say that you were to old to go. And I couldn't very well tell him that I already knew that you wanted to go, he would've asked why, and I'd have had to tell him. - I couldn't have lied to him about it, especially after all the other lies I've already told him. - Then he would've ran to Clary and told her that you wanted to go because of her, and it would've been a _disaster_. She would have wanted to go home, but Max would've asked her to go, so she would've went anyway, but she wouldn't have said a single word to you all night long," she sighs, "and I just want-" She stops everything abruptly; her talking and her walking. Oh, come on! You just want _what_?! "Where's your locker at anyway?"

"I don't know," I admit with a shrug. Honestly, I'm not even worried about where it is, I just want her to finish what she was saying.

"Give me your schedule," she demands. I reach into my jacket pocket, pulling it out, and she snatches it from me, giving it a once over, then laughs. "Oh, this is good."

I look at her confused, my eyebrows pinched together, and ask, "What is?"

"Oh, nothing," she replies, a smile on her face. "It's just that your locker is next to mine.." she pauses, and her smile becomes a grin, "and Clary's."

"Really?" I ask ecstatically.

"Yes," she says, her grin never fading. "A matter of fact, it's right in-between them. You've got me directly on your left, and her directly on your right." Hearing that makes me smile like a fool. I'll get to see her before, and after, each class. "Now come on, we've got to hurry before your late for your next class."

"What about you?" I ask curiously as we start walking again, this time without her gripping my arm with her long, perfectly manicured fingers. "Won't you be late for class?"

"No," she says, and I can see out the corner of my eye that she is shaking her head no too. "I'm an office aide this period, so I can show you to your next class, and it still be all good."

Using my right hand, I swiftly motion from my left to out in front of me as I say, "Then lead the way, my liege."

* * *

 **Clary**

Since I got to class earlier then everybody else, I was able to choose whichever seat I wanted, so I took the spot in the far back left corner. I figured that, this way I would be able to see if somebody was watching me; because I still think that whoever it is that made that phone call, and followed me around last night, has got to be around this campus somewhere. Plus, I'll be less likely to be called on during class from way back here.

So now as my classmates come straggling in, I'm sitting here at my desk watching them; analyzing whether or not it could be them, and if so, why.

The ever so handsome, Malik Safar comes in with a dashing smile on his face. I don't know what could be so great to be that happy about, but I quickly rule him out. He's never done anything cross towards me, and our freshman year, he took watch while I left school property; skipping school for the first time ever. In fact, we both played lookout for the other until I was emancipated; but I still do it for him, when he needs me to.

Then 'The Giant,' also known as Bat Velasquez. - He stands six foot six, so come on, it's no wonder he got that nickname. - He has this way about him that makes you think that he will squash you with one foot, then again, that could just be because I'm so tiny compared to him; but I rule him out as well. He has never been anything but nice to me, and we still talk to each other all the time.

Now walks in Sebastian, the _real_ reason that I don't like this class. His eyes, that don't look as swollen as earlier, lock with mine and he smiles. I follow him with my eyes as he makes his way towards me. _He could be behind it_ , I think for a second before coming to the conclusion that it isn't possible. Whoever was watching me last night, was on the opposite side of the road, and when we happened to come up on each other, he was on the same side as myself, and was coming from the direction we were going.

Then again, when I got that phone call, there was at least three people; two females and a male. So could he of had one of the females following me? That's crazy, right? I mean, he was with Aline and Helen, so it couldn't have been them. But that does add up with the number of voices I heard on the other side of the call. I growl inwardly. This is so frustrating! I don't know which way to rule.

I don't even know if those females are actually involved, or if they were just keeping the male company. Surely they are, right? I mean, he did say, "When _we're_ ready." So, obviously there is more than just him. Then again, that could have just been a metaphorical 'we' though. He could've been talking about himself in third person, or have multiple personalities. _Ugh_!

"Hey," Sebastian says with a smile still on his face. He is acting as if nothing happened between us last night, or within the last year for that matter, and that everything is just peachy keen between us. He takes his seat at the desk in front of me, and I roll my eyes as I sarcastically think.. _Oh, just fucking great!_ He turns sideways in his chair, putting his back against the bar of the desk to his right, and looks at me expectantly with his hands on the back of his seat.

"What do you want?" I ask, unamused and snarky.

"You," he says matter-of-factly with his right eyebrow raised and a smirk.

I close my eyes, shaking my head, and take a deep breath before opening them back up and saying, "You had me, but _you_ screwed that up, not me."

"I know, and I'm-"

"You're sorry, yeah I know," I snap at him, cutting him off. "In more ways than one," I say with my lips pooched out, my eyebrows raised, and crossing my arms over my chest.

He laughs humorlessly. "Very funny."

The two of us sit here staring at each other, and about ten seconds into it, he reaches toward me with his right hand, moving it to touch my left cheek. I pull my head back and to the left before he can, while moving my left leg out from under my desk like I'm about to get up; and he pulls his hand back, then places it on my desk.

"Clary," he says sadly. "What do I have to do to prove to you how sorry I am, and that I'll _never_ hurt you ever again?"

I scoff. "There isn't anything you can do."

"I know you don't mean that."

"Oh, but I do."

"What we had was real, and that doesn't just go away."

"What we _had_ ," I lean forward slightly and stare into his eyes, _again_ ; hoping that I'll finally get my point across that thick skull of his, "couldn't have been to real, if you could cheat on me so easily, and for as long as you did." I glance around us to make sure that no one is in hearing distance before I continue. "Not to mention, hit and choke me when I refused to take you back. Then threaten me that if you couldn't have me, you'd make sure that no one else could either."

"Okay, first off, that wasn't a threat, that was a promise. Haven't you noticed that no guy," he motions around the room with his left hand, "that goes to this school, has dated you? That's because of me," he points at his chest, looking pleased with himself. I open my mouth to protest, but I don't get the chance. "Second, I cheated on you, because I wanted to know if what I was feeling for you was real, and it was." Hell of a bullshit reason to cheat on somebody, huh? "Third, I-"

I put my hand up, stopping him from saying another lie, when I hear a voice that is as familiar as my own say, "Good Morning, Mr. Starkweather."

I look away from him and in the direction the voice is coming from, and sure enough, it's Izzy, standing at the door. Oh, _thank the angel_ , she's come to save me again! I wonder which excuse she is going to use this time.

I look over at Mr. Starkweather, who stands at the transparent podium next to his desk; his thin body looks even thinner behind it from here, and today's neat tweed suit is black. He pushes his glasses up on the bridge of his long beaky nose, and motions for her to come in. "Miss Lightwood, to what do we owe the pleasure?" He looks at me, a strand of his gray streaked black hair falling in his face, he pushes it back, then winks as he asks, "Come to collect Miss Morgenstern, again?"

I laugh inwardly. He may be Mr. Starkweather at school, and can seem cryptic at times during lessons and lectures, but outside of school he's Uncle Hodge, the man that has watched us grow up and taught us so much that we can't learn in books. And even though we all _try_ to keep it professional here, so that nobody can say that he's showing favoritism, sometimes that uncle part of him creeps into the classroom.

"No," Izzy laughs as she walks up to him and gives him a side hug. She looks at me and mouths 'I'm sorry,' then looks back to him. She stretches her left arm out beside her, "I've actually brought you a student."

No fucking way!

"Yes, I heard we were getting a new pupil," he says, as I look back to the door. Sure enough, there stands Jace, running his long fingers through his curly, golden hair.

Oh, no! This isn't good on a couple of different levels. It's not good because I'm trying to avoid him, and this makes two classes back to back with him; calculus and now, history. But what makes it even worse is that I now have my ex-boyfriend that is trying to get back with me, _again_ , and the new guy that is trying to make his way into my life - the one that says he's going to win me over, the one that seems to think that he needs to protect me for whatever reason, and has flat out stated that he wants to get to know me better - in the same class. So I can see this collision of the egos, and the who's dick is bigger contest, coming already. And what's sad about it is, I don't want either of them. I'm quite content with my life just the way it is.

"Mr. Herondale, I presume," Mr. Starkweather says, and Jace nods his head yes. "Take a seat wherever you'd like."

Jace looks directly at me and smiles, and I hear Sebastian groan in annoyance and disgust, which causes me to laugh quietly. He's jealous of somebody I'm... _OH SHIT!_ I completely forgot that Jace told him last night that he's my boyfriend, and I didn't object to it because I was enjoying the pain it caused him. This is so going to be worse than what I initially thought. There's no denying that I'm really going to be caught in the crossfire now.

"Miss Lightwood, please give him this textbook on your way out."

She does as Mr. Starkweather has instructed. Please take me with you, Izzy! I silently plead with her as she leaves in a hurry.

Jace starts walking towards me, still smiling, and I give him a once over; something I didn't even take the time bothering to do in first hour. He's wearing black combat boots, a pair of blue jeans that seem to hug him just right and in _all_ the right spots, a white shirt that fits a little loosely, but definitely not so loose that I can't make out his muscles, and it has buttons starting right between the top of his pectorals with the very top button left undone which allows all of his neck to be exposed, and the black leather jacket he let me wear last night over it. I move my eyes further up, over his Adam's apple, his chin, his narrow mouth, and angular face, and when I get to his eyes, mine lock with his; and for some reason, unbeknownst to myself, I find myself smiling.

Jace comes to a stop directly to my right, and I think to myself.. _It wasn't just the light last night and contacts, his skin and eyes really are gold colored._

"He said I could take a seat wherever I liked," he says, looking down at me. "So I want to sit in your lap."

I just can't help it, I bust out laughing. And it's not a fake, or a quiet, laugh either. No, it's a real, hear it through the whole room, laugh; which in turn causes Jace to grin and chuckle.

"Is everything alright, Miss Morgenstern?" Mr. Starkweather asks, and I can hear Sebastian grumbling something about being corny.

"Yes, Mr. Starkweather," I say through my laughter. Then I take a deep breath trying to tone down my laugh to at least a chuckle. Jace leans down, putting his hands on either side of me, - his right on the desk and his left on the back of the chair - and bringing his face close to mine. That causes my laughter to stop.

"I love your laugh," he whispers into my right ear, his warm breath moving my hair back as he does, and I feel the warm tingling sensation that I felt earlier, again, as I blush. "You should let me make you laugh more often."

"Sit down," I say smiling foolishly, and putting my right hand against his left thigh, - which just so happens to be hard like a rock - playfully trying to push him away.

"Anything you want," he says endearingly without hesitation, as he leans backwards; his hands still on either side of me, and his arms stretched out in front of him. He looks me straight in the eyes, and repeats himself, " _Anything_ you want."

Do I say thank you? Do I ask what anything entails? What do I say?

I'm not sure how to reply to that, nobody has ever said that to me before. So instead, I just sit here, staring into his gold eyes; amazed, shocked, maybe even both, or something else entirely, I don't know. He winks at me with his left eye, and takes the seat right beside me; the two of us never breaking eye contact.

"Alright, my circle of minions," Mr. Starkweather says, breaking our little, whatever it is; a staring contest maybe. But it didn't really feel like one, and I don't exactly know how to describe it. I mean, it was like there was something in his eyes that was pulling me to him, making me feel lost in them, and I didn't want to look away. By the angel, _what is wrong with me?!_ I've got to stop this, and I've got to stop it _now_! "Let's open our books to page three ninety-seven."

I flip my book open, and start flipping through the pages until I find the correct one; and I hear the same thing going on throughout the class.

"Today we are going to be discussing World War II in more detail," Mr. Starkweather announces, and is greeted by some moans and groans. "Now that is no way to act when it comes to our history, as it tends to repeat itself."

Just then Jace tosses a folded up piece of paper on my desk. I open it up, and it reads..

 _Why do you think I was lying when I said, you look beautiful? Don't you know that you are?_

I groan, and write down my answer..

 _Because, it's probably something you say to all the girls. You know, to get them to sleep with you. And I'm average, at best._

I glance up, making sure that Mr. Starkweather isn't paying attention, and toss the note back. A few seconds later, the letter reappears in front of me..

 _Yes, I have used that line before, and yes, for the reason you think. However, I meant it when I said it to you. You_ _ARE_ _beautiful!_

I feel my heart sink as I read his last two lines, then I stiffen up and write..

 _Thank you._

Then pass it back. A short moment later it returns..

 _You're very welcome, beautiful! Can I talk to you after class? It's about last night._

The first thing that pops into my head is... Oh, Izzy had better not of told him! She swore she wouldn't. The second is the ride home he gave me, and the things I let slip to him. I did tell him way to much, I should have just stuck with the simple, 'I'm emancipated,' bit I tell everybody else, and I don't know why I didn't. As these things run through my head, I stare at his reason, then I look at his question before writing my reply..

 _There's nothing to talk about._

* * *

 **Ok, so what did you think? Oh, I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Again, I'm sorry for it taking so long to be posted. I hope I'll be able to get the next chapter up asap. Cross your fingers for me.**

 **Also, I have a secret. It's in the works still, so I don't want to say anything. But after I finally decide whether or not I'm going to do it, and all that good stuff, you guys will be the first to know. Until then, I don't want to jinks myself. But, I will tell you this much... It's exciting, and a little scary. Lol.**

 **Don't forget to leave me a review letting me know what you thought about this chapter.** **Also, don't forget to follow, and even favorite.**

 **MWAH! My lovely people, until next time.**

* * *

 **For those that follow HHS 3:** **Family, Wedding Bells, And Pranks**

 **Even though I have it, chapter 6 of HHS 3 will not be posted. I can't get it to load for some freaking reason. Sorry. I'm going to keep trying to get it to upload.**

* * *

 **Also, if you noticed, I don't have a title for this chapter. I thought about 'Nothing to Talk About' but I'm not entirely convinced that it fits this chapter. So, what do you think? Suggestions are welcomed.**


	7. Not Your Problem, Not My Problem

Being stuck in the same class for an hour and a half with Sebastian was bad enough, but add Jace to that mix, and it was worse. Like, _way worse_. If it wasn't one, it was the other, and a few times it was both, just sitting there staring at me, instead of doing their work. Although, I do have to give credit to them both for their creativity, at times.

Sebastian would shift one way or the other in his seat, and adjust his phone to just the right angle, all so he could see my reflection on its screen. He even used his camera by turning it to forward facing. And when I would catch him, he wouldn't even try to play it off. Instead, he'd smirk and wink at me, or blow me a kiss. But none of that really surprised me, since he's been doing it off and on all year long. The whole using his phone thing though, that was new; at least as far as I know.

Jace used his phone, too. He would turn it on its side, and watch me through the camera. I know this because he accidentally dropped it when I flipped him off, and the camera was pulled up. There was even a couple of times where he had turned his head away from me and propped it up on his left hand, but when I looked over, I caught his camera on forward facing; an image of him and myself on the screen. - It made me think that we looked perfect together, but I quickly shook the thought away. - And I'm not real sure, but I think he may have even taken a picture at one point, because I heard the same sound that mine makes when I snap one. But to be fair, before that happened, I did tell him take a picture it last longer; I just didn't mean literally.

The both of them would also turn sideways in their chairs, being less inconspicuous. Jace did occasionally try to hide his by using his book, and Sebastian even did the whole stretch behind your back routine to catch a glimpse, which got annoying fast, because his big hands would end up coming really close to touching my face, and if I hadn't moved they would have; I'm sure it was on purpose too.

I swear, the two of them were like big kids trying to outdo the other by seeing who could get my attention first. They would make grunts, and groans, and some other noises as well, just to get me to look up at them; so of course, I started to ignore their noises altogether. But before I did, there was a couple of times that I thought they were about to fight. Jace would clear his throat and I'd look up to see the two giving each other the most dirtiest looks I've ever seen, and their fists would be balled up. Those were the times that I'd think.. _Here goes world war clash of the egos._

That's why when the bell, signaling the end of class and time for lunch, finally went off, I was so happy that I nearly danced out of the classroom. And I would have if I could've done it as I sprinted around the desks and out the room. I had to get away from all the craziness. I mean, neither of them are my boyfriend, nor am I interested in them, yet they seem to want to fight each other over me.

So what would be their prize if they did? Busted lips? Black eyes? Maybe even broken bones? Only the angel knows. But I know, it sure as hell isn't going to be me! I'm nobody's prize!

Anyway, thanks to all of the shit that was happening in class, I now have homework. Good thing that I don't have a real class after lunch, and have study hall last period, so I should be able to get it done before I go home.

"Clary," I hear a slightly winded voice call out as I walk up the stairs, heading to my locker on the third floor. "Wait!"

I stop at the landing of the second floor, instead of starting up the next set of stairs, and turn around to see the crowd of bodies in the stairwell and an arm in the air as it tries making its way up the stairs. It pushes over to its right, against the railing, and reveals... Aline. Her short legs trying to take the crowded stairs two at a time, as her short, straight, dark black hair bounces against her curved cheekbones, and her round almond shaped eyes look eager, as if she has something that she needs to say and if she doesn't get it out now, she may just imploded. - I swear, the resemblance between her and her mother is uncanny.

She's a little over halfway to me when, out of nowhere, somebody grabs my left arm and jerks me around the corner of the wall. _Who in the FUCK thinks that they can touch me like this?!_ I think as I turn to look at them with my heart racing from the suddenness of it all. I release an audible breath, one that I hadn't even realized I was holding, when I see that it's Izzy; who's peeking around the corner, over at the area she just pulled me from.

Izzy finally looks at me, a mixture of emotions running across her face. "We've got to get you out of here. Come on, we'll take one of the other sets of stairs," she says, starting to drag me down the hall, to the right of where we just stood.

"What is going on, Iz?"

"I don't want you to get kicked out of school."

"Kicked out of school?" I ask, completely confused at this point and I know it shows on my face, as well as in my voice. "For what?"

"For getting into a fight with the principal's daughter," she replies as we hang a left, going down another corridor.

I stop dead in my tracks, damn near having my arm yanked off by her as I do. "What are you talking about? Why would I be fighting with Aline? I don't even talk to her, anymore."

"She thinks you're the reason Sebastian got his ass handed to him," she explains, turning around to face me. "Which is.." she stops. "Just come on," she pleads.

"I'm not scared of her," I assure her, shaking my head slightly and my face scrunched up. I'm not even worried about what she was going to say, because after all, we both know he fell into the wall outside of our place and that, that was my fault.

"I know, and that's why we _need_ to get you out of here," she says dramatically, using her hands to emphasize her words.

"Alright," I breathe out while rolling my eyes. "Fine. Let's go."

* * *

"So," Izzy says as we lay our jackets in the chair to my left and take our seats at our outside table. "Don't get mad, but," she hesitates slightly, "I invited Jace to come eat with us."

I jerk my head up and look at her with my eyebrows raised. She has got to be kidding me. This had better not be a set up. But before I can tell her as much, she seems to read my mind.

"It's not like that. He just doesn't know anybody else at the school, so I couldn't just let him eat lunch by himself."

"He would've found himself some groupies," I assure her. "And, he knows _Seelie_ ," I say her name in disgust.

"He hasn't talked to _her_ , since last Halloween, and he's not looking for any groupies," she states knowingly, then shrugs. "Besides, he's family."

"That better be the only reason," I mumble, then suddenly feel eyes on me once again.

I glance around the dining area, inside and out, and the street. To be honest, I'm half expecting to find Jace somewhere, staring, but I don't see him anywhere. _Not again,_ I think to myself.

"What can I get you ladies to drink?" asks our waiter as he comes to a stop beside me. I only catch a glimpse of him from the corner of my eye.

"Pepsi," I say simply, still skimming the area.

"I'll have the same," Izzy says, sounding occupied by something else.

"I'll have them right out," the waiter says, and I can tell by his voice that he is walking away as he does.

I feel a hand wrap around my left wrist and I jump, my chair making a horrible skidding noise as it slides across the concrete, while balling up my right hand into a tight fist.

"What's wrong?" Izzy asks as I turn to see who's hand it could be. "It's just me."

I stare at her long, perfectly manicured, red finger nails and shake my head slightly while releasing my fist. This is getting old quick! But, if I'm honest with myself, that phone call really added to the unease I was feeling last night. I mean, come on, they knew what I was wearing for crying out loud; and that alone is enough to make anybody jumpy.

"It's nothing," I say looking up at her, and giving her the best fake reassuring smile I possibly can.

"No, it's not," she says with certainty, her eyebrows raised at me. She slides her hand down and over mine, and squeezes firmly. "You feel it again, don't you?"

I simply nod yes, and watch as her expression changes in to one of worry.

"Clary, you really need to go to the police-"

"Why?" an all to familiar voice asks worriedly, cutting her off.

I turn my head to my right and look up. "What are you doing here, Alec? Aren't you suppose to be at school?"

"I was," he answers. "I just came to pick up an order for mom, Magnus, and me. But don't try to change the subject, Clary. _What_ do you need to go to the police for?"

Uh oh, he doesn't look happy. His usually pale skin has a reddish tint to it, and his blue eyes look hardened, as if he is about to kill somebody if he needs to.

I take a deep breath through my nose and release it slowly out my mouth, and while I do, Alec sits down in the empty chair to my right. He pushes his hair back out of his face with his right hand, and looks at me earnestly.

"I'm waiting," he says impatiently, staring into my eyes.

"Okay, keep your shirt on," I say jokingly, trying to lighten the tension up some; but it doesn't work. "Last night, when we took Max trick-or-treating, I felt like I was being watched. Minus the time we were in the haunted house. Then _early_ this morning, I got a phone call. They knew what I was wearing, Alec," I say, my voice cracking ever so slightly; but it's enough for me to notice. I clear my throat, and start again. "They said that Jace was at home in bed, so he couldn't help me this time. - As if I needed his help. - They wouldn't tell me who they were, where they were, or what they wanted; but said I'd find all that out, when they were ready for me to know. And now I feel eyes on me again, but I can't find who it is."

Never taking his eyes off of me, he slaps the tabletop hard with both hands, stands up, and asks, "You feel the eyes on you _right now_?!"

I nod very slightly.

"I still think it could've been Sebastian," Izzy quickly chimes in. No, Izzy! Why?!

"I'll fucking kill him where he stands!" Alec snarls rather loudly, and I sink back in my chair.

It's probably safe to say that everybody is staring at us, but that doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that Izzy knows how much Alec hates Sebastian, and she just had to tell him that. Here. Right now. She couldn't wait until we were in the privacy of our place, where we could semi control the outcome of the news.

"Oh, just wait until she tells you what happened between them last night. After Jace dropped her off, but before the phone call."

"Izzy!" I say sternly. Why can't she just leave well enough alone? Why must she pour fuel, on an already burning fire? Why?!

"What?" she asks incredulously. "You were going to tell him anyway."

"Yeah, but not right now, and not right here."

"No, you're going to tell me now," Alec demands, and I close my eyes as I roll my head back; resting it on the back of the chair.

"Alec, can we _please_ not do this here?" I ask exasperated.

He replies with a firm, "No."

"I didn't think so," I sigh, sitting back up and opening my eyes to look at him. He is as red as a tomato now. "Long story short, he was waiting for me to get home. He kissed me, I kissed him back, but I quickly came to my senses and tried to get him to stop, but he didn't want to. He thought he was going to get lucky, apparently even if he had to take it. But I remembered something Jon told me, and was able to get away-"

"He had her pinned between him and the wall," Izzy interrupts me, and I quickly give her a dirty look. Again, _why_?

I then look back to Alec, who's sucking on his top teeth, and I swear, it looks like he no longer has skin and it's just blood holding his body together.

"Yes, but I used his weight against him, and made him crash into the wall with his face. Then I kicked him in the gut, threatened him not to come around the apartment ever again, and went inside." I stand up and say, "I'm okay, see," and start to do a slow twirl with my hands up by my head, my palms facing the sky. When I finish a full circle, he is shaking his head fiercely, so I put my hands on top of his and sit back down. "Alec?"

"I'm alright," he says, but his tone sure doesn't prove it. He looks down at me, "I'm okay, if you're okay. You're sure you're okay?"

"I'm sure."

"Good," he says. He leans down, bringing his face inches away from mine. "But I'm going to kill him," he says completely emotionless, and I know that means only one thing.

"Please, please, _please_ , Alec. Don't do something stupid," I beg him. "I don't want to come visit you with a sheet of plexiglas between us."

He smirks. "Who says that I'm going to get caught?"

* * *

 **Jace**

When I get to the restaurant that Izzy told me to meet her and Clary at, I find them at one of the outside tables, and to my surprise, Alec is with them. Izzy never mentioned him being here, and I know he has class, so what is he doing here?

I notice that Izzy looks nervous and worried, while she keeps looking between Clary and Alec; so I take a better look at the two. Alec is staring at Clary with a pissed off look on his face, like he is about to murder somebody. Clary has her back to me, so all I can really make out of her is that she no longer wears her jacket, which reveals to me a lot of her lightly freckled skin around the one inch wide straps of her shirt, her fiery hair has been braided to the right, - I suppose she did that on the way here, because it was still down when class let out. - and is draped over her shoulder; but the direction her head is facing makes me assume that she is staring back at him.

What the hell is going on? Is he ready to hurt _her_? Or somebody else because of her? I don't have a clue. But either way, I know I need to get over there fast, so I quicken my pace.

As I near the table, I can hear and feel that there is an eerie silence between the three of them, so I open my mouth to ask what is going on, when Izzy looks up at me and shakes her head; the look on her face warning me not to say anything. I hesitantly do as she wants, and walk over to Clary's left. Izzy removes the two black leather jackets from the chair and I sit down.

"What's going on?" I mouth to her.

"Long story," she mouths back, then looks back to the two and clears her throat. "Jace is here, guys," she says softly, but the two don't bother to look away from each other.

From this angle and proximity, I can see that Clary's face is as red as her hair, and her left, emerald green eye with its tiny flecks of gold, looks challenging with tears welled up in it, threatening to spill over. Seriously, what is going on? What could these two possibly be trying to stare the other one down about?

I'm so confused. Wasn't Alec the one threatening to cause _me_ bodily harm if I hurt her last night? I'm pretty sure he was. But now he looks like he is going to be the one to hurt her. And by the angel, if he _tries_ , I'm going to have to take him down. Family or not!.

"Hello," Izzy says, waving her right arm and hand in-between the two of them. "Earth to Alec and Clary."

This time Izzy gets a reaction out of them. Alec budging first, looking over at her. Then a second later, Clary simply picks up her drink, and while putting the straw in her mouth, she looks further to her right; giving me a view of the back of her head once again.

"Okayyy," I drag out cautiously. "Does somebody want to fill me in on what's going on here?"

"Just family stuff," Alec replies shortly, sounding pissed off, as he looks at me.

"Hey," I say incredulously, leaning forward. "I'm family too," I remind him, using both my hands to point at myself with my fingers; my thumbs sticking out to the sides.

"True, but-"

"It doesn't concern you," Clary snaps fiercely, never even glancing at me and cutting Alec off. "So don't worry about it."

"Fine, I won't," I retort, but it's not true, not by a long shot. If it concerns her, it concerns me, whether she knows it or not. And I'm not going to stop worrying about it, not until I know what it is; and even then it will still be highly unlikely that I stop. I mean, come on, I've been worrying about her everyday, since the night I first laid eyes on her; so it's not like I can just stop because she tells me to.

"Good," she says decisively. There's not even the hint of remorse, or it possibly being a lie, outlined in her tone.

I lean back against the chair I'm sitting in, and even though it's tearing me up inside, I firmly say, "Good."

* * *

 **Clary**

I didn't feel bad about snapping at Jace, at least not really. I mean, deep down I did, because it wasn't his fault I was mad, but I didn't because he should stay the hell out of things that don't concern him; and I. Don't. Concern. Him. Nothing that involves me, concerns him. So he should just mind his own damn business, and leave me alone.

Which I think he has finally got the point of, because ever since, we've been just sitting here, not saying a word to the other. True, it's only been a minute or so, but still.

Alec stands up, and breaks the silence, "I better get going, my order is probably ready." He looks down at me. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asks, tilting his head to his left slightly; telling me that he doesn't want to do it at the table.

"Yeah," I answer simply, uncrossing my arms from over my chest. I go to put my hands on the front part of the seat to pull myself up, but Alec stretches out his right hand, offering to help me, and even though I'm mad at him, I take it anyway.

When I get to my feet, he doesn't let my left hand go. Instead, he starts leading me around the other tables and chairs that are occupied, over to an empty table by one of the temporary dividers, where he stops abruptly and causes me to crash into him.

"Clary," he says turning around to face me. He looks down at me; and not because that's what he thinks of me, but because I'm just so short even with heels on. "I need you to do me a favor."

"What kind of favor?" I ask, slightly confused and my eyebrows raised. I thought he wanted to argue about going after Sebastian some more.

"I want you," he shakes his head, "no, I _need you_ , to stay with Izzy, or Jace, at all times." I open my mouth to interject, but I don't get the chance. "Unless you're with me."

"I can't do that."

"Why not? Is this because you don't want to be around Jace?"

"How did you.." I start, my eyebrows drawn inwards, then stop, putting my hands out in front of me, my palms facing towards him, and shake my head as I say, "Never mind, that's not important." He looks at me intrigued; his right eyebrow raised, his chin drawn in towards his chest, and a hint of a smile playing at the right corner of his lips. "Not like that," I sigh, rolling my eyes. "It just has nothing to do with why. I can't because Izzy isn't in my next two classes, and even though I could care less, I don't know what classes he has after lunch."

"Well," he says, draping his right arm over my shoulders. "Then, try to stay around people that _I_ would trust to be around you."

"Well, that list is short," I chuckle. "So I guess I should just go home."

"Ha, ha, smartass," he says, amusement in his voice. We start making our way back towards the table where Izzy and Jace sit. "Just be careful. I promised Jon..." his voice cracks at the mention of Jon and he trails off there, leaving his promise hanging in the air.

"I know," I acknowledge sadly, wrapping my left arm around his waist; trying to comfort him. "And I will."

"Do me another favor?"

"What's that?"

He places a kiss against the top of my head. "Cut Jace some slack, he's not as bad as you think."

"Not happening," I mumble.

He chuckles. "I didn't think you would, but try. For me."

I cut my eyes over and up at him, that's kind of what Jon said in my dream. He said that I have got to quit thinking that everybody is going to end up hurting me, and start letting people in. And that I had to do it for him, because he wants to see me happy again.

What the heck is going on? First Izzy, then dream Jon, and now Alec. Who's next? Max? Maryse?

He looks down at me, his blue eyes looking sad, and gives me a small smile. "You know, you can't keep that wall of yours up forever, and I don't think he'll hurt you."

"You don't know that," I say looking away from him and back in front of us.

"You're right," he sighs. "I don't, but I do have a pretty good feeling that he won't."

I release an audible breath. "I don't think I want to take the chance of getting hurt over a pretty good feeling that you have."

He stops abruptly and my right leg goes higher up into the air, instead of going down to the ground, causing me to fall back into his side. I quickly gather my balance and turn to look at him, and just as I'm about to ask what that was all about, he puts his hands on my cheeks, stopping me. He leans down some and looks me straight in the eyes.

"Even if I told you that I knew for certain that he wouldn't, it still wouldn't do any good. Which to be honest, I don't know for a fact that he won't. So I'm not going to tell you that, Clary. But, I am going to tell you that you will never know until you at least _try_ to get to know him. Keep your wall up, that's smart. But you at least owe it to yourself to see if he can help you break down that wall that you've built."

I stare at him, my eyes wide from shock. He's telling me to keep my wall up but to still try. In the past he never told me to keep it up, he wanted me to take it down altogether; so this is something new. But why would he say that? And why now?

"And don't think that I don't know about you telling him part of what happened between you and Valentine. That alone should tell you something about him is different for you."

"That was an accident," I mutter.

"I don't think it was," he says dropping his hands from my face. "I seen you with him last night, there's some sort of connection between you two. I can feel it."

"Whatever," I scoff, rolling my eyes and shaking my head. Like he can feel something that I can't. "And you just saw what you wanted to see."

He grins at me knowingly. "You just keep telling yourself that, Clary. Just keep telling yourself that."

"Oh, shut up," I laugh, and lightly hit him in his stomach with the back of my right hand. "Don't you need to be getting your order and getting back to school?"

"Yeah." He looks at his watch, which he keeps on his left wrist. "And you guys will need to be getting back shortly too."

We start to walk back to the table again. "Just remember to be careful, and try not to be by yourself. I don't want whoever this is, to have an opportunity to snatch you up. Because the first person I'll track down is Sebastian; not saying that I'm not going to anyway."

"Oh, please," I plead with him as we approach the table. "Not this again. Just leave it alone."

"No promises."

"Then I can't make any either," I say somberly.

"Okay, fine," he huffs, as we come to a stop at the table. "You win."

I smile up at him and smugly say, "I usually do."

When it comes to Alec, Izzy and I always win. Sure, at times, it might take some time to wear him down, but I think that's because he doesn't want to seem like a push over, so he likes to put up a fight. But in the end, we win! What can I say, Izzy, Max, and myself are his weakness; just like Alec, Max, and Izzy are mine.

"But only for now, though," he smirks, then looks over at Izzy and Jace. "I'll see you guys later," he tilts his head slightly to his right, over at me, "and keep an eye on this one for me."

I literally growl at him, as if I were a dog, and he laughs. "Alec, go away," I say through clenched teeth.

I really wish that he'd quit acting like I'm helpless - when he knows that I'm not - and being so over-protective over me; because he just gave Jace a reason to stare at me.

"Alright, alright," he laughs putting his hands up in the air in surrender as he takes a step back from me and the table. "I'm out of here. I'll see you guys later."

"See you later," Jace says as Izzy says, "Later," and I simply say, "Bye."

And with the wave of his hand, Alec walks off; making his way around some more tables, and entering the building.

I sit down in the chair Alec was sitting in, picking up my drink as I do, just as our waiter starts setting down plates. Two sausage rigatoni's and one baked ziti. I deeply inhale their aroma, and as usual, the food smells delicious.

"Enjoy," he says walking away. I don't know who this new guy is, but he needs to get himself some people skills if he plans on lasting here. Ragnor Fell won't tolerate losing money because this guy provides crappy service.

"I took the liberty of ordering for you." Izzy says, sliding a plate of the rigatoni in front of me. "I know it's one of your favorites."

"Mine too." Jace says under his breath, grabbing the other plate.

"Thanks," I tell her cutting my eyes over at Jace. Why is he talking so low? That doesn't seem to be his style. Has he finally got the hint that I don't care to get to know him?

Izzy slides the plate of ziti in front of her, and her and Jace start eating. I sit back in my chair, bringing a bite to my mouth, and watch Jace as he brings another bite to his. And even though I can feel eyes on me, I'm not worried about who it could be at the moment. I'm to distracted to care, for now.

Jace's long lashes flutter and I notice that his left eye looks lightly bruised, his angular cheek bone has a faint bruise, and upon looking at his narrow mouth as he inserts his fork, that the left side of his bottom lip is cracked. What in the hell happened to him? And why didn't I notice these things earlier in class?

Wait, I say to myself, shaking my head and blinking hard, then I look down at my own plate. Why am I worried about it? It's not my problem.

* * *

 **I hope you have enjoyed this chapter. What did you think? Let me know.**

 **Yay! I'm so happy that you didn't have to wait to long for this update. And I hope to have another up soon, as well. I've been rereading this story, so I could get a feel for it again, and discovered that I have all the way to chapter 10 written. The other chapters probably need some retouching though. Then hopefully, I'll be able to work on more. Fingers and toes crossed.**

 **Also, my girl -Mrs Jace Wayland-Herondale- and I have gotten back to work on SR 2. We should have a chapter up for it soon. Yay!**

 **With that all said, High School Sweethearts 3 will have to wait a bit longer; even though I do have chapters for it on my computer. I'll need to reread through the whole thing.**

 **Anyhow, don't forget to review, like, follow, and favorite. And thank you to all of you that have been so patient with me, and are still reading. It really means a lot. Mwah! My fabulous people!**


	8. Different Side of Her

After Jace, Izzy, and I have finished our lunch, Izzy and I ride back to school in silence. She occasionally glances over at me, a worried look on her pretty face, as if she wants to say something; but she never does. And I don't want to question her on the matter, because I'm not sure if I want to know what she's worrying and keeping quite about. Besides that, I can't stop worrying that Alec may go after Sebastian.

True, I believe that Sebastian needs unspeakable things done to him after all the hell he has put me through, but I damn sure don't want Alec to be the one to do them and get in trouble. That would tear his family up, especially poor little Max; and I can't let that happen to them, not after everything they have done for me throughout the years. Besides, Sebastian isn't worth the time or the energy. I dealt with it. It's done. Time to move on, and let karma handle him from here on out. Now, if only I can get Alec to see it the same way. But, he did promise to leave it alone, and he has never broken a promise to me before, at least not one that mattered, so I suppose I should drop it for now.

Looking out the passenger window my mind wanders off to something else that I can't seem to get out of my head... What Alec said during our private talk at the restaurant.

Mr. Alexander Lightwood wants me to try to get to know Jace, because he thinks that there is some sort of connection between us and doesn't think he'll hurt me. Ha! I think Alec has finally fallen off his rocker. He thinks that Jace can some how help me break down my wall, but what he fails to see is that I refuse to let it down. But he also says to keep my wall up, because it's the smart thing to do. And that's what I find the most confusing.

Why would Alec say that when he has always been so adamant about me taking it completely down before? And what does he mean by it? Is he unsure about the pretty good feeling he claims to have and this so-called connection between Jace and me, that he says he feels? I mean, seriously-

"We're here," Izzy says as she puts her car in park, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I sit up and sure enough, we are in the school's student parking lot. We get out of the car and as we head toward the building, I see Izzy in my peripheral reach her left hand over her right shoulder as she locks the doors and sets the alarm.

I never thought I'd see the day that I would be so glad to be back at school, but strangely I am in a way. It means that the day is half over, and I'll get to go home soon. I know that I don't honestly have to be here, that my last two classes of the day are electives and I already have more than enough of those to graduate, but I already made commitments that I can't break. Besides, Maryse said that they would look good on college applications and she didn't want me to be cooped up in the house like a hermit even more than I already am. _By the angel, I love that woman!_ Always worrying about me as if I were one of her own.

"I'll catch you later, Iz." I say once we've entered the building. She looks at me puzzled, and I know it's because I usually walk with her to our lockers after lunch. "I told Mr. Carstairs that I'd be in early today. I've got to get a TV and DVD player to the English III class before this period starts."

"Oh," she says simply, but she looks a little relieved too. "Well, have fun."

"Oh, yes. Lots of fun," I deadpan and give her a hug. "Have fun in history," we pull apart, "it's all about World War II today."

She laughs. "See, that's why I took it after lunch, so you could prepare me for what's to come."

I laugh. "And here I thought it was because you didn't want to use to much of your brain in the morning."

"Well, that too." she chuckles.

"You're so bad." I tease with a smile on my face.

"I'll see you later," she says as she starts walking straight. "Love ya!"

"Love ya, too!" I call back to her before heading to the right.

* * *

I open the door to the library and walk in to find that nobody is here. The book return is close to being completely full, and it looks as if no one has touched any of it today. And there is only one television cart left, when usually there is five.

"Mr. Carstairs," I call out while looking around, "I'm here."

There's no answer, so I knock on his office door. Still no answer, so I turn the knob. It's locked, which is odd, so I knock again.

"Mr. Carstairs?" I wait, but still no answer. I'm starting to get really worried now, this isn't like him. I knock again. "Jem?"

"I'm right here, Clary." he answers, _finally_ , and I hear the library door shut.

I spin around and face him, fisting my hands to my hips. "You had me worried. What have you been doing?"

"I took the television to the substitute in English III, since we have a lot of other things we need to get done." He raises his left eyebrow, his dark brown eyes looking at me with worry in them. "And you better watch it using my name, somebody might overhear and report you."

"I ain't worried about them." I dismiss his concern with a wave of my hand. "What are they gonna do, suspend me for being worried about a teacher? And it's not like they can really do anything to either of us for knowing each other outside of school, now can they? Besides, if they tried, it would come back to bite them."

"I suppose your right," he says and casually shrugs it off. "Do you think you can help me get caught back up? My morning aide was out sick today."

"Code for hangover," I laugh softly.

"Exactly," he laughs. "And as you can see," he motions towards the book return, "everybody decided to return books today, and the televisions have been being checked out like crazy." He points to the remaining cart, "And that one there, has to go to the drama club. Guess it's a good thing that they don't meet until last hour."

"Right!" I agree and head towards the book drop. "You know, we could always blame Izzy for all the crap the drama club needs." I joke with a small laugh.

"No, I blame Ms. Belcourt." he chuckles. "She's always had a thing for the dramatics."

We both laugh as I get to work on scanning books in, and he puts one of the large stacks of books that were lying on the counter in the book cart. Then he sets off, pushing the cart up the little ramp, to a row of shelves and starts putting books away.

* * *

After about fifteen minutes of scanning in books, and approximately another twenty putting them away, Mr. Carstairs and I finally finished with the books. Then I pulled up the list of all those that have books overdue still and of those that became due today, and printed out the usual reminder note for each of them. As they printed out, I went through them and wrote down the fee on those that had one, before taking them to the office for the office aide to handle.

"Clary?" Mr. Carstairs says when I walk back into the library.

"Yeah, it's me." I reply, walking towards his office door. He pops up from behind the television cart, causing me to jump and screech a little. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" I ask with a small, tight laugh, and using both of my hands to try to keep my heart from pounding out of my chest.

"Sorry," he chuckles. "Can you take this over to Ms. Belcourt's class, please?"

"Sure, no problem." I grab the handle on the cart and pull it towards me, then spin it around so that I can push it instead.

"Thanks," he says, opening the door for me. "You're a lifesaver."

"I bet you say that to all your aide's," I tease with a smile.

"Nope, just you." he assures me, with a smile.

"Aw. Okay, I shall return."

"Oh, I know you will."

I walk out the room, again, and head for the elevator this time. I push the button and the doors open immediately. Good! _This should take no time at all_ , I think to myself as I enter and push the button for the first floor. The doors shut and when they open again, I exit beside Vice Principal Aldertree's office and begin to make my way down the corridor that is filled with the sound of bouncing basketballs.

As I come up on the gym the doors are opened, so I stop to check out who may possibly be on the team this year. Bat, who I know is going to make the team, runs in for a lay-up and of course he makes it. He gathers up his ball, noticing me, and comes over to the set of doors I'm watching through.

"Hey, Clary." he says in greeting with a smile. "How do you think it looks out there?"

"I don't know, I haven't been standing here long." I admit. "But we both know that you're a shoe-in. Do you think you'll take us to state again this year?"

His smile becomes a grin. "I sure hope so. Are you playing this year?"

"Me? Are you crazy?" I laugh shortly. "I haven't played ball in years, you know that." I point my stubby, unpolished finger up at him. It's comical really. "And I know you're gonna take us to state, so the next time someone asks you that question, you tell them, 'Hell yeah, I am!'"

He laughs shortly, his chest heaving up and down a couple of times. "You always have faith in me, Clare. I'll be sure to remember that the next time I'm asked, though."

"You better." I say, playfully demanding him, while bringing my hand down to my hip.

He shakes his head with a smile on his face. "You gonna be in the stands cheering me on this season? I know you quit the squad, but that didn't stop you last year."

"Of course, I'll be there." I tell him with absolute certainty, almost hurt that he'd think otherwise. I have never missed one of his games, and I'm not about to start now.

On top of that, Jon would not be happy if I missed one of his buddy's games, even though I have quit. The two of them and Alec use to be an unstoppable trio on the court, and then when Jon died, Bat took it kind of hard. His grades plummeted, among other things, then he dropped out for the rest of the school year. That's how the two of us came to be in the same grade.

"Awesome!" he says excitedly. "You wanna come shoot a few with us?"

"I can't," I sigh. "I've got to get this delivered to the drama department before next period. Sorry."

"Alright," he says sadly. Then a sudden spark of hope flashes in his eyes. "Maybe on your way back through, yeah?"

"We'll see," I chuckle. He's still such a big kid. "I'll catch you later."

"Now, we both know better than that," he laughs.

I laugh, too, and steal the ball from his hands. "You know what I mean." I chest pass him back the ball. "Now get back to practice before you get in trouble."

He dribbles the ball a couple of times, then bounces it between his legs. "Okay," he sighs dramatically. "If I must."

"You must," I laugh, again. I swear, talking to Bat is almost like talking to Jon; the same charisma and happy go lucky ways.

"Alright, but promise you'll stop back by on your way through."

"I'll try, but no promises." I give him a half smile.

"Try hard," he says and then pivots back towards the court.

* * *

 **Jace**

"Hey, Malik." I yell, trying to grab his attention. He's staring at the guy they call Bat, who's standing over at the doors talking to somebody that I can't see. "Are we playing or not?"

"Yeah. Sorry, man." he says, sounding distant and grave. He then shakes his head, looking over at me, and puts his hands out for me to pass him the basketball. "Let's play."

I bounce pass him the ball and ask, "Are you alright, man?"

"Yeah, I'm good." But the way he says it, I find it hard to believe. He starts dribbling the ball. "Set it up, and let's run it," he calls out.

The guys we're playing against set up a simple two-one-two in front of the goal. Malik fakes a pass to the guy named Edward, that I recognize from first period, and passes me the ball. I start dribbling and take my time walking toward the goal, and just as the dude Mark comes up, I pass the ball back to Malik. He dribbles it and heads down the center, but the twins in the front block him; I think their names are like Joey and Alex.

"Good job, guys." Malik praises everybody. "Now, let's put a little spice on it and see who we can shake up."

He quickly passes the ball to me, I take a step toward the goal, then pass it back to him. He passes to Edward, who goes in for a lay-up, but instead of taking the shot, passes it to me. I shoot it and it's nothing but net for a perfect three pointer.

"Swoosh," Edward says excitedly and fist pumps the air. "That's what I'm talking about!"

"Where was the defense, guys?" Malik asks the five guards. "Come on, you're gonna have to do better than that if you want a spot on this team."

"Here, let's show them what you're talking about." Bat says, running up from behind me. I glance over at the door, but whoever he was talking to is already gone. "Malik, Jace, Edward, Mikey, and I are going to take your places, and I want you guys to mimic what they just did."

We all swap out spots, Mikey taking center, Edward and I taking the back two post wings, while Malik and Bat take the front two post. The other five follow what we did, but when Joey goes in for the lay-up like Edward did, Edward blocks him, causing him to pass the ball sooner then he thought he'd have to. Kadir, Malik's brother, catches it but isn't able to make a clean shot; because Bat is already moved out toward him, and I'm already covering him. He tries to take the shot anyway, instead of passing it, and I slap the ball over to Bat.

"Now do you guys see what we've been talking about?" Bat asks as he starts dribbling the ball.

"Yeah," the five mumble at him.

From what Malik was telling me earlier, these guys are good but not great. He said their coach last year basically didn't give a shit, and just let them play. But seeing as how they are all trying out for varsity this year, it means more work for those that have - as he called it - the true experience of the game.

"Okay, set it up and we'll try it again." Bat says, and we all swap back spots. Only this time, Edward moves down to his actual position and Malik slides into his normal spot, Bat being the main ball handler as he is captain of the team.

We run the drill again and this time the sophomores step up, and I end up having to pass the ball to Mikey. Mikey goes in but Chris shifts down to guard him, so he passes it across the court to Edward. Edward passes it to Bat, who passes it to Malik, who passes it back to Edward, who passes it to me. We follow the pattern we've made and I can't help thinking that this seems like a game of monkey in the middle. I laugh to myself at the thought, just as Edwards shoots and sinks it.

"That was pretty good guys." Bat commends them before Malik walks over and whispers something in his ear. "Now, keep practicing while I talk to Malik for a minute."

"Jace, you move to center. Edward and Mikey, you two slide up." Malik instructs while taking a couple of steps backwards, then turns as he and Bat continue towards center court.

We set it up and start running a bullshit play against the five; considering our odds, that's all we really can do. I pass the ball to Edward and run down the center, and as three of the sophomores come in to guard me, Edward passes the ball to Mikey, who sets it up and gets his own three pointer.

We run one bullshit play after another while waiting on Bat and Malik to return. Each of us taking turns shooting. I don't know how much time has passed, but when Bat and Malik return, they are shoulder to shoulder and smiling from ear to ear.

"Okay, guys." Malik says, his grin never leaving. "We've got a surprise for you."

Bat looks over at him with a shit eating grin on his face, and then back to all of us before saying, "This surprise is going to blow your minds," he uses his hands to emphasize his words, bringing closed fists out from his head and opening them. "You've probably heard the name, and some of you may have even been fortunate enough to see this legend in action."

"But, I can guarantee, only a few of us have ever had the privilege of playing side by side with this legend." Malik adds.

"Oh will you two stop it already?" A familiar voice says with amusement from behind them. Who pushes through them is not who I expected though. It's fucking Clary! As she makes her way between them she smacks them good-naturedly on their arms, smiling. "I don't know if you two are trying to scare them, or give me a big head. But I'm not that good," she chuckles.

"Bullshit!" Malik and Bat say simultaneously, both still grinning.

"Whatever," she waves her right hand in a dismissive way as she starts scanning the court. She stops when she comes to Edward and Mikey, who are both smiling at her. She nods at them, her profile showing that she is still smiling. "Hi, guys."

"Hey, Clary." Edward says as Mikey responds with, "Well, long time no see, pretty lady."

"Some things never change I see," she chuckles and shakes her head at Mikey. "You're still a big flirt."

"Only speaking the truth," Mikey quickly counters. I want to agree with him, I really do, but I can't. I'm frozen in place, unable to speak or move.

"I've heard that before," she rolls her eyes playfully at him, and starts scanning the court again; her eyes sweeping over the underclassman. "I don't see why you want, or need, me here. I bet you guys can whip these kids into shape, no problem."

Her mouth drops as her eyes come across me, the last person on the court that she hadn't seen. She closes her mouth and looks up at Bat, then back to me, before she whirls around on her right heel and looks back at Bat and Malik. I notice only now that she's discarded her heels and is wearing sneakers.

"You guys got this, you don't need me."

"Oh, yes we do." Bat says. "We need some of that Morgenstern magic of yours."

"No you don't, and I don't have any magic." She glances over her right shoulder at Edward and Mikey. "Not anymore."

"Please," Bat, Malik, Edward, and Mikey all plead with her in unison.

"Here," Edward tosses the ball to Bat. "Put it in your hands, Clare. It'll all come back to you."

Bat hands her the ball and she stares down at it. "I really should be getting back to class."

"Oh, come on," Malik says.

"Yeah, you were all for it a minute ago." Bat adds.

"We'll get down on our knees and beg if we have to." Edward chimes in.

Clary shakes her head, still staring at the ball. "That won't be necessary." She clears her throat, looks up, and turns back around. When she speaks again her voice is clear and strong, "One game. That's it."

It's the same one I heard her use last night with Alec and Izzy at the park. The one that leads me to believe that she is a firecracker. I wonder why she hides that part of her.

"Yes!" The entire gym erupts, even Coach.

"Alright, let's clear the court." Coach's voice booms across the stadium, and everyone does as they're told. Even I somehow manage to make my legs work. "Sophomores, take a seat and pay attention. This girl will show you a thing or two about the game."

"Probably more than that, Coach," Mikey yells over to him.

"Probably," Coach laughs. "She'll probably even show you a thing or two, Mikey."

"Y'all are crazy! The whole lot of you." Clary says loudly, shaking her head as she walks towards Coach. "You know that?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Bat says as he follows behind her. "But you always fit in with us crazies."

Clary hugs Coach and he hugs her back, grinning down at her. "It's good to see you, Clare."

"You too, Luke." she says, before quickly correcting herself, "I mean, Coach Garroway."

Luke? Does she know him outside of school? They do seem to be familiar with each other, almost like a family kind of relationship. But that can't be the case, or he wouldn't have said 'Good to see you.' Right?

"Ready to play some b-ball?" Coach asks her, and she shrugs her shoulders.

"I guess." She looks over at Bat and the others to her left, then chuckles. "I don't think I have much of a choice."

"Yeah, I don't think you do." he laughs. "You might want to go say hi to everybody before we get started though."

She sighs before saying, "Alright," then heads towards the guys that are now all standing beside Bat; where she is hugged and picked up by nearly every one of them.

The more I watch her with the junior and seniors - especially the seniors - of the team, the more I notice how familiar she seems with a lot of these guys. - Laughing and cutting up. Sharing what seems like private jokes, at times, with a couple of them. - Did she use to date them? And what's up with this Clare business? Alright, fuckers, get your hands off her and let's get this show on the road.

"Okay," Bat says after a moment, that to me, seems to have lasted forever. "If we don't get this game started soon, we aren't ever going to play, because I doubt we can get Clare to come back tomorrow."

"You're right about that," she laughs. "I'll be avoiding this side of the school during third period from now on."

"You can't do that," Malik says, sounding hurt if I'm not mistaken.

"I can if I'm going to be blackmailed into playing," she says with her hands on her hips, her right brow arched, and a smile on her face.

"What about sometimes?" Edward asks.

"Maybe. We'll see." She looks over at Coach. "So who's on who's team, and what score are we going to?"

"You're captain of shirts," Coach replies. "And Bat, you're captain of skins. Pick your teams and we'll go from there."

Clary rubs her hands together with a mischievous glee about her. "Malik."

"Damn you," Bat says under his breath with a half smile. "I want the new guy. Jace."

"Alright. I want Edward."

Bat turns to look at her, "Fine. I want Mikey."

She looks up at him smiling, and I have to admit that these two look funny next to each other. He's so tall, and compared to him, she's so short. And to see the two of them facing off with each other like this is really amusing.

She puts her right hand on her cocked out right hip and continues, "Mark."

"Jay."

"Zeke."

"Mitchell."

They continue picking their teams until there are no more junior and seniors left to chose from. Then we huddle into our respected teams and get ready to start the game. This should be interesting, I think to myself. The way everybody is acting, she's like a basketball guru; and personally, I can't wait to see what she's got.

"The first four names called are our starters," Bat explains. "If you need a sub, pull someone off the bench to replace you. I'm jumping."

"Who's guarding who out there?" I ask.

"It doesn't matter," Bat replies. Then sincerely he adds, "It's been a long time since Clarissa Morgenstern has been on the court, and I just want to remind her how much fun it is."

"Yeah," the others all agree.

Why hasn't she been on the court for a long time? The look on her face a bit ago was as if she loves being out here. And she doesn't seem to me, like somebody that would quit something that they love. Hmm... More puzzling things that I want answers to. I wonder, _who_ -

"Alright, let's do this." Bat says, pulling me from my thoughts.

We head out on to the court, and when we reach the center circle, Clary and her team are already standing there waiting. She has Malik jumping the tip off, and the way they are set up, they are going for the hoop on the wall with the doors that exit outside. Clary glances at Bat as he takes his stance, and smirks at him. Boy she seems cocky. I like it!

Coach tosses the ball up into the air and the game begins. Clary's team manages to win tip off, and within no time flat, Clary has done sunk the ball for two points. How the hell did she do that? I didn't even have time to move.

"Come on, Giant." Clary calls out, gloating.

"Oh, it's on now." Bat threatens good-naturedly as he takes the ball out. He throws it inbounds to me and when I turn around, Clary has her team set up in a one-three-one formation.

She stands in center court, grinning, Malik is to her right, Edward to her left, Zeke is standing behind them, and Mark is just a few feet away from me. Okay, I have to admit, I was _not_ expecting this. Good call, though. Now let's see if they can execute it.

I start to dribble to my left, putting myself between the ball and Mark, and as he slides towards me I toss the ball to Bat over my head. Bat makes a b-line to go between Clary and Edward, and they throw their hands out and slide to meet him; effectively blocking him, unless he wants to get called for charging. He steps back, looking for his next option. All but Mitchell is still on this side of the court, and Zeke has him covered. As Bat glances over at Mikey, Clary swoops in and steals the ball, then goes in for a left handed lay-up, but Jay throws his right arm out to his side and his left hand straight up above him, which causes her to laugh. She bounces the ball behind her, to her right, and Malik comes out of nowhere.

"Uhh!" He groans excitedly, retrieving the ball, and ends up dunking. He drops down and grabs Clary up, swinging her around, and she laughs. "Does my girl know how to make a play, or what?" he laughs, and sets her back down on the ground.

 _His girl?_ I don't like the sound of that. _At all!_

"Or what?" Bat laughs. "I guess we're gonna have to stop taking it easy on y'all."

"Don't get mad," Clary chuckles. "You're the one that wanted this."

"Yeah, but we're taking it easy on you and your team." Bat quips.

"Oh, really?" Clary asks with a laugh to her voice, still looking at Bat as she motions for her team to get back down court. "And why's that?"

"Because you're a _girl_ ," Bat teases.

"Ha!" she shouts, causing me to flinch slightly at her unexpected outburst. "Think of me as one of guys then and _bring it like a man_."

The gym fills with laughter. The sophomores in the stands. The players in the chairs on the sidelines. All the guys on the court. Even I'm guilty of chuckling at her witty comeback. Poor Coach is laughing the hardest, though, gripping his sides as he fights to stay upright.

"Ohhhh," Bat drags out as he tosses the ball over to Mitchell. "It's being brought now."

"I guess we'll see about that, won't we?" she taunts him, amused and if I'm not mistaken excitedly.

While Mitchell takes the ball out, I run down court; noticing that she has set up a one-two-one-one. She really has got a knack for this. She could coach, for crying out loud. Clary stands at the free throw line, so I decide to be post. She has Zeke and Mark out to her left and right, with Edward in front of her, and in front of him is Malik.

"We most certainly will." Bat retorts good-naturedly.

Bat starts to make his way down the court, and Malik presses him. Mitchell runs out in front of him, onto this side of the court, for the pass but Edward starts pressing him. _By the angel, they're like freaking vultures!_ Is this how they normally play for fun? As Bat gets a little closer, Clary starts backing up to press me and to, no doubt, get a better shot at catching the rebound, if there is one. But I don't budge, and with one more step backwards, her back is literally pressed against me. Cheap feel, I know, but I mentally pat myself on the back anyhow.

"Now," she yells suddenly, and all hell breaks lose on the court.

Mark who was standing to the right of us, breaks across between her and Edward, and Zeke breaks behind us to the right. Edward turns to his right, and somehow he has managed to get the ball. He runs around Malik and goes in for an unguarded lay-up, which he makes. All while Clary and I stood in the same place, her pressing against me, keeping me back.

This is fucking crazy! Six to zero. Zip. Nothing. I can't believe this shit. How is this even possible?

"Ready to forfeit, yet?" Malik asks Bat, as Clary walks away from me toward center court.

"Not in this lifetime," Bat says, and if I'm not mistaken, I think he may be starting to get a little upset.

"Oh, come on. It'll save you guys the embarrassment, and me from breaking a sweat. " Clary says gloating, again. " Which I still have yet to do," she chuckles. "When are you going to bring your A game, guys?"

"Oh, it's been brought." Bat says with his eyebrows raised and a smirk on his face. "You just cheat."

"How do you figure?" Clary asks as we all set up for the next play.

"You're pulling tricks out of that hat of yours that I don't remember," Bat retorts.

She stands straight up from her stance and puts her hands on her hips. "Oh now, Bartholomew, that's what happens during real games. If you want, though, I'll give you some to use for the season."

Bartholomew? Is that like a nickname? Seriously, what is the deal between these two? I mean, what is his thing with her? Their thing? Is there something going on between these two? And if so, what is it?

He laughs. "Sounds like a plan to me. Nobody will know what hit them."

"Right!" she laughs. She looks around the court. "Hey, guys, I think we should go easy on them and let them score this basket. What do you think?"

"NO!" Bat and Mikey say simultaneously. Personally, I wouldn't mind, it would mean that we actually have a score of some sort.

"Alright, fine. Suit yourselves, but you can't say I didn't offer." Clary says playfully. I really like this side of her. I wonder if there's a way to get her to be like this all the time.

"You're getting to cocky, Morgenstern." Bat jokes back.

"And you're not being cocky enough, Velasquez."

We continue to play, me guarding Clary every chance I get, and we are finally able to get a couple of points in on her and her team. While we play, I notice a crowd starting to form in the bleachers. Most of the people cheering on Clary and her team, and only a few cheering on our team. But none of it phases any of us, we just keep on playing while the friendly bantering continues. And before long, I even lose track of the score; which was eighteen to thirty-seven, Clary's team, before I quit tallying it up in my head.

"GO, CLARY!" A familiar voice yells, and Clary stops this time. "SHOW THEM WHO OWNS THE COURT!"

Clary looks towards the doors before shaking her head, the look on her face now is as if she is trying to figure out what's going on. I follow her gaze and see Izzy standing at the door with a huge grin on her face, then I look back to Clary, who is now scanning the bleachers.

"What time is it?" Clary asks of no one in particular.

"One forty-five," someone calls back to her. Wow! We've been playing for longer than I thought.

"Oh, sh-crap!" She looks over at Bat. "It's already last period, I've got to get going."

"We all do," Bat says with a small smile. "I want a rematch later when you have more time."

"We'll see," she chuckles, and starts jogging towards Izzy. "It's been real, but I'll catch you guys later."

"Later," some of the guys call back as some simply say, "Bye."

I on the other hand just stand here, dazed, watching her as she exits the gym; Izzy saying something to her as she falls into step beside her. Once they are out of sight, I become confused. Why isn't Clary like that all the time? She was like a completely different person, kind of like she was at times last night.

 _Shit!_ That reminds me. _I still need to talk to her about last night_.

I turn, finally coming to my senses enough to realize that everybody is leaving the gym now, and that I need to go grab a shower. Clary isn't the only one late for last period. And I'm on probation, so I can't afford to get in trouble. Especially if I want to be on the team. I head towards the locker room and wonder... Since it's my first day, if I'll be able to get away with being late.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think about this chapter in the reviews. I hope you enjoyed it. I wanted to show a slight glimpse of what the old Clary may have been like, before everything went wrong for her.**

 **Also, Mrs Jace Wayland-Herondale and I have just finished re-writes and editing on chapter 9 for Sweet Redemption if you've been following along with it. So, it should be posted really soon. We are sorry that it has taken so long to update it and appreciate your patience with us, but life has taken control of us. And in all honesty, we've both been losing our interest in FanFiction. But, we will finish it; as well as our other stories. If you haven't read it yet, you should. But, you will need to start with Sweet Revenge first, as it part one. Otherwise, you'll be lost and confused.**

 **Anyhow, don't forget to favorite, follow, and review. Reviews often help with ideas, so let me know what you have thought about this chapter and what is still to come. Plus, your reviews may help with getting me back in the groove of FanFiction.**

 **Until next time... Mwah!**


	9. Unwanted, Unintential Attention

"Can you _please_ just drop it, Izzy?" I ask exasperated, as we walk out to her car in a rush. "It's not a big deal."

"Are you kidding me?" Izzy retorts in disbelief with a hint of annoyance. "You should have seen yourself out there. You had a huge grin on your face, and it was obvious that you were having fun."

"Alright," I sigh. "I'll admit that I was enjoying myself, and it almost felt like old times, but I just did it to help out Bat and Malik. Plus, Edward said that they'd all get down on their knees and beg if they had to."

She laughs. "You still have them boys eating out the palm of your hand."

"Oh, please," I say, rolling my eyes at her. "And for the record, that has never been true."

"Whatever you say, Clary," Izzy mumbles as we split ways around her car.

I shake my head. Izzy and her crazy ideas. "Can you pop the trunk? I think I've got a shirt in there."

"Yeah, sure." She clicks a button, opening the trunk. "If you don't, I'm pretty sure that I do."

I look inside and find a red jacket, a pair of black leather pants, a black dress, and a blue, sleeveless, v-line shirt; all of which belong to Izzy. I know I had at least a t-shirt in here yesterday. I start shaking the clothes out, but still nothing. _Where the hell is it?_ Just as I lift the dress, my white tank top falls. _Yes!_ This'll work, I think as I drop the dress back down and snatch my shirt up. I look around and see that nobody is looking before quickly changing tops, then shut the trunk. I walk back over to the passenger side and open the back door, finding Izzy sitting in the driver seat.

"Aren't you going to class?" I ask, grabbing my history book and notepad.

She turns and looks at me with a small smile. "Yeah, but I wasn't gonna leave you out here by yourself."

"Oh," I say quietly. I know exactly why, and I don't feel like talking about that right now either; so I don't bother to argue that I can take care of myself. "Well, I'm done now, so let's go."

"You sure you got everything you need?" she asks, climbing out the car and shutting the door.

"Yeah," I answer, shutting the rear door.

"Alright." She locks the car back up. "Well, let's go get this day over with so we can pick Max up from school."

* * *

 **Jace**

Bat and Malik are standing side by side talking when I enter the showers, and it gives me an idea. They seem to know Clary pretty well, so maybe I can get some answers out them. Plus, there's the one question that's currently eating at me the most.

"Did you guys use to date that girl, Clary, we were playing with?" I ask, coming up to the shower on the left of Malik and turning on the water.

"No," Malik says as Bat mutters, "Nuh-uh."

"Why do you ask?" adds Malik.

"Just the way y'all were with her, I guess," I say as I begin washing my body.

"We've all known each other since elementary," Malik starts to explain. "And we use to hang out all the time, back in the day."

"Oh?" I am truly intrigued by this bit of information.

"We played all sorts of sports with her and her brother," Bat says shortly, and there is something in his voice that I can't quite put my finger on what it is. He sticks his head under the water and says, "Not to mention party."

"Yeah, those were the days," Malik says fondly. He turns his head towards me with a sad smile on his face, "Jon was one hell of a baller, too."

"The best captain ever," Bat says so low that I barely hear him over the showers and the others with their talking, laughing, and towel popping.

Even with all the other things going on, the mood in this particular area of the room has shifted dramatically from cheerful to dark rather quickly over this subject. It's obvious that they were close to Clary's brother, and that they still feel the loss of him. The effect he had, and apparently still has, on these guys, has me thinking that he was one hell of a cool dude as I wash my hair. And it really makes me wish that I had known him.

"Bat," I say, getting his attention and deciding to change the subject. "You said earlier that Clary hasn't been on the court in a long time, how longs a long time? And do you know why?"

"Well, this will make two years since she last played," Bat replies. "I'm not really sure why. I mean, I have my suspicions but that's all I've got."

Two years? Two years. Wait a minute. Clary said her mom and brother died a couple of years ago. And she talked like it was her fault. She also said that not long afterward she went through all that shit with her dad and got herself emancipated. Is that what made her quit playing?

"I think it was a combination of things, personally," Malik says as I turn off the water. I grab my towel, wrap it around my waist, and look at him quizzically. "She just had to much happen to her in a short time frame."

* * *

 **Clary**

I make it to study hall and am greeted with a puzzled look from Mr. Carstairs, who sits behind the counter at the computer. I know I'm not in any trouble, but he is wanting an explanation of some sort as to why I didn't come back during last period. I decide to go with the simple truth.

"Sorry," I say, a little ashamed of myself. I should have just came back to the library, instead of putting on a show for a good chunk of the student body. "I was in the gym."

He raises his eyebrows, stunned. "Really?"

"Yes, really." I lean against the countertop, resting my arms on it with my books in hand.

"Hmm," he looks intrigued now. "Is there a boy we were watching?"

"No," I can't help but chuckle the word. "I was playing ball with Bat and the guys. They said they needed some help with the sophomores trying out for varsity this year."

"I see," he eyes me skeptically. "Are you sure it wasn't just some boy?"

I look at him like he's crazy, my eyebrows raised and my lips pooched out. "I'm sure."

"Okay," he laughs. "Just thought I'd check."

"Well, you should've known better than that. I'm going to be a monk."

Chuckling he responds, "There are no female monks, Clary."

"Yes, there are, just not legal ones. Don't believe me, look it up." I then sigh, rapping my right hand's knuckles on the countertop. "Well, I guess I better go finish up my history work."

"Sure thing," he says as I turn around, heading for the furthest table in the room. It's up the single step and is the last in a row of three tables that sit between the middle of the bookshelves. "If you need any help, you know where to find me."

I wave over my shoulder at him as I pass a few students sitting at the second table, in the second row of tables that line the main lobby. One of the boys looks up at me, then leans over and starts whispering to his friends, "That's her," while trying to be sneaky about his pointing at me. I roll my eyes and continue to my seat. I knew I had unintentionally drawn attention to myself with that game, which I could kick myself for, but I didn't think I'd be the talk of the school. I sit down in my chair, seriously upset with myself yet happy to be perfectly hidden away from all eyes in the room, and open my books. _Maybe I can pretend like it never happened and that I don't know what people are talking about,_ I think as I look down at my first unanswered question. Ugh!

 _Why did Britain and France give into_ Hitler's _demands?_

* * *

 **Jace**

Bat and I turn out to have the same class this period, too, so the two of us walk together after we've finished dressing. As we enter the room, I notice Mikey sitting at a table furthest from the door, reading. There is also a small brunette sharping her pencil to our right, two boys - one of which looks familiar - sitting at the second table, and no adult in site.

We walk across the room, over to Mikey, and sit down. Bat sitting directly in front of him, and me sitting beside him. Being this close I can see that he is reading ' _Romeo and Juliet,_ ' and he really seems to be concentrating hard.

"You're still reading that?" Bat asks in a hushed voice.

Mikey peeks up at him over his book. "Yeah." He points down at what looks like three pages stapled together, and says, "Ms. Gray wants us to finish having all these quotes interpreted by Monday."

"Well, have fun with that." Bat chuckles quietly.

I open my notebook as the two of them fall into silence, and check out what I have left for history to do. I didn't accomplish much of anything, and admittedly I really only have myself to blame. If I would have focused more on my work, instead of on the beautiful, little redhead named Clary that was sitting beside me, then I would have been able to get more done. But I just couldn't help myself, especially with that prick Sebastian sitting in front of her.

I still can't believe that he didn't learn his lesson after last night. Oh, and seeing his face when he looked at me was funny as hell. He looked like he wanted to have another go at me again. I still laugh inwardly when wondering if he looked in the mirror this morning before coming to school. His nose looked like it was possibly broken, and he has two black eyes and a busted lip. I swear, I would've done more damage if it hadn't been for Jordan and his buddy, Simon.

As I open my textbook to get started on my work, I look up and am stunned by what I see. At the very back of the room, sitting all alone, at the last table, hidden away, is Clary. How on earth did I get so lucky as to have her in three out of four of my classes every day? And luckier still, by getting to spend time with her during the one that she's not in, today?

Deciding that I have all weekend to get my work done if I don't finish it during study hall, I take a moment to watch her without her knowledge. She is truly the most beautiful female I've ever seen. She has sharp, well-defined facial features, and a couple of small, long curls have fallen down the side of her face. She has her left arm folded in front of her, between her and her book, which she is looking down at, and her right elbow is propped up on the tabletop as she taps her head with her pencil.

I glance over at Bat and Mikey, who are engulfed in their own work, and come up with an idea. Quietly gathering up my stuff, I stand and push my chair back in. Then, I head Clary's way. By the angel, _please, let this work!_

"Hi there, beautiful," I whisper, setting my books down on the table. She looks up at me, her eyes widening, and her lips part slightly.

"Are you stalking me?" she asks after a moment, and I smile.

"No," I say with a low chuckle. I sit down in front of her. "Why would you think that?"

"Well, I don't know. Maybe because you've been everywhere I've gone today," she states as if it is obvious, and I catch a hint of sarcasm in her tone, too.

"Maybe it's you who's stalking me." I tease, raising my right eyebrow.

"In your dreams," she rolls her eyes. "What do you want, Jace?"

"Some help with our history assignment," I say, playing it casually.

She closes her eyes, putting her right hand across half her face, and shakes her head. She slides her hand down her face, opens her eyes, and says, "There's not much to it. You just have to read the material."

 _Shit!_ That didn't go according to plan.

"Well, then, do you mind if I sit here," I ask to which I'm rewarded with an 'are you serious' kind of look; both her eyebrows raised and her right nostril flaring out slightly. - As odd as it is, I find her nostril flare sexy. - So I try to quickly think up a new excuse. Come on, Jace, think. _Think, think, think. Why does she make it so hard to think? Ah, ha!_ "In case I have a problem finding an answer."

"By all means," she waves her right hand from left to right in the air. "It is a free country. Do whatever you want."

 _Sarcasm at it's finest,_ I think with an inward chuckle. "Thanks."

"Mm-hm." She looks back down at her book, and I open all my stuff back up.

"What page is it again?"

Bringing her right hand down, she holds her place, and flips back a few pages, checking the number. "Three ninety-seven."

"Thanks. Again."

"No problem."

The two of us sit and work on our history in complete silence, other than the occasional sound of one of us flipping a page. Every once in a while, I glance up at her. And a couple of those times, I caught her looking at me; both times her cheeks turned a light shade of red as she quickly looked back down at her work. I still wonder what that was all about. Was she checking me out, and got embarrassed because I caught her? Or what? I don't know, but I wish I did.

Once we even looked up at the same time, our eyes locked for a short moment, and we both smiled at each other. _Angel have mercy, she has a great smile_ ; even if it was just a small one that time. Though I have to admit, it had _nothing_ on the one she gave me in second period, that smile was _glorious_.

But time moves to fast and before long, she closes her books and gets up. Carrying her books, she walks off. I turn my head, looking over my right shoulder, and watch her; she knocks on an open door, on the opposite side of the room, then enters. A short moment later she comes out and heads toward the area of the double doors, where I lose sight of her behind the bookshelf to my right; so I don't know where she's gone. I don't even know if she'll be back to sit with me.

I turn my head back around and check my watch. I've still got fifty-one minutes left of study hall before it's time to head back to the gym for after-school basketball practice. It seems to me that they would've scheduled 'boys gym' for last period, instead of third, so that we weren't warming up, cooling down, and then getting fired back up again. Plus, it would have saved on the school's water bill, too. - They have it set like that for next term; girls gym third period, boys fourth. - Oh well, that's their problem I suppose. And I am not going to complain, because this way I get to see Clary more; which helps with my plan to win her over.

* * *

"Hey, Clary." I hear a not so quiet voice say from behind me about five minutes later. I turn sideways in my chair this time to look. Mikey is walking toward her, and from his profile, I can see that he's grinning at her. She in return smiles at him, and the two stop at the table closest to the counter; the first table, in the first row.

I watch as the two talk in whispered voices to each other, Mikey leaning back against the table and Clary standing in front of him, holding some type of book against her chest with crisscrossed wrists. Whatever he is talking to her about he seems adamant; while she seems a little unsure, and maybe even a little less than amused. She shakes her head no and he reaches out to her with his right hand; sliding it up, down, and back up her left bicep before resting it on her shoulder. - I really wish he'd take his damn hand off her already and not do it again. It's to intimate for my liking. - The two stare at each other and a few seconds later, he pushes out his bottom lip at her and bats his eyelashes. She laughs and shakes her head before saying something else to him. Whatever she says makes him happy, because he smiles at her and removes his hand. - _Finally!_ \- A short moment later, the two part ways; him heading toward the room Clary went into earlier and her coming towards me.

 _Yes!_

I follow Clary as she walks over, sits back down where she was sitting earlier, and lays the book she's been holding down in front of her. It's a sketchpad. She lifts the cover up, revealing the first drawing, which is of some guy that looks vaguely familiar to me for some reason, and eyes it for a few seconds before quickly turning two more pages; so I am unable to make out what the other drawings are. Now, one page is blank but the back of the other isn't and it really captures my attention.

I point at it. "That's my birthmark," I say in wonder.

I know for a fact that she hasn't had the time to draw that between now and earlier when we were down at the gym. And she hadn't seen me without a shirt before then. Not that she was paying much attention. So how is this possible?

She looks at me as if I have lost my mind. "I don't see how that's possible when that's my birthmark." She pulls the left shoulder strap of her white tank top over to reveal her own birthmark. "See."

I move my gaze from her face, down her slender neck, over the curve of her collarbone; when a wave of desire, that I've only ever felt towards her, strikes through me. It's still so new to me. And I didn't think it was possible, but it's even stronger than it was last night and the Halloween from the previous year. It's so strong that it's unnerving.

When I finally rest my eyes on her shoulder, I go from wonder and desire to shock in less than half a second. Her birthmark is _exactly_ like mine! It's the same star-shape. In the same spot. The same size. Even the same color, a pale white that almost looks like it could be a faded scar.

Dazed by this and never taking my eyes off hers, I pull the collar of my t-shirt down, revealing to her the same mark, in the same place, on the same shoulder, and I hear her gasps; shocked, I think.

We both sit here speechless, just staring at the others mark for a few moments longer until Clary shakes her head and finds her voice first.

"That's odd," she says dismissively, but sounds a little confused, too, and lets go of her strap.

"I'd say," I agree, fixing my shirt. I can't think of anything else to say. The only other people I know to have that mark is my father and every male in our family line for generations back. _Only ever males_. Yet, Clary has it. She's not related to me. And she's female. So what does this mean? Does it even have a meaning?

* * *

 **Clary**

Sitting here in the library, drawing, until it's time to go, I can't seem to clear my mind. I just keep wondering about everything that's been happening lately. I'd really like to know what is going on. Have I done something wrong? Is this karma?

I thought I was doing a pretty good job at lying low. I haven't gone out partying, or any of the other things I've been told a million times that I should be doing in order to enjoy my teenage years. Hell, I haven't done much of anything in a long while. Sure I've gone to the Lightwood's home, my part-time job, out to eat with the Lightwood siblings from time to time, which includes Max every now and again. I've gone to the college campus maybe a dozen or so times, to pick or drop something off for Maryse, or to pick up Alec when he loaned his car out. I take Max to the park, sometimes. And of course, I've gone shopping with Izzy numerous times, because she won't take no for an answer and always hounds me until I agree. - Though admittedly, it never takes long for her to talk me into it. Her being a weakness and all. - But other than that, the only other place I really go is school. So why are all these strange, and creepy, things happening to me lately?

First, there's this Jace character, who abruptly comes into my world last night, and all that entailed while we were around each other. Second, there's whoever was watching me while we took Max trick-or-treating. Third, the Sebastian ordeal when I got home.

He hadn't made a move that bold in months, and he never went that route before; showing up at my place and trying to force himself on me the way he did. Usually, it was him just trying to get me back, and his wanna-be threats. And he hadn't even done that in months. For the most part, it's just been his on again off again flirting from afar. So, why last night?

Next comes that phone call. Which leads me to believe that there will, in fact, be more phone calls like that one and that being watched is far from over. I honestly believe the two are connected. I mean, they knew what I was wearing for heaven's sake, so they were obviously watching me.

There's also my dream with Jon. That was so beyond strange. He was here, or there, I'm not sure. I touched him and it felt so very _real_ like it did when he was alive and we'd hug. The way he talked as if he has been by my side every day this whole time, and knew what's going on. The way he was there, then was somebody else; Jace to be specific. The things he said right before that happened. If it wasn't for that _damn phone call_ , I might have gotten some answers.

Then throw in all that's happened today since then. Jace is in all but one of my classes, every day until this semester is over in December. Being watched at lunch, by somebody I couldn't find, _again_ ; just like last night. Mikey wanting me to come play basketball with them after school, during practice; which I do kind of get since I played with them last hour. However, he then invited me to come play with them at the park over the weekend. - I told him I wasn't making any promises, but I'd think about it, which he got all happy and excited about. - Which brings me to the latest. Jace having the exact same birthmark as me.

How can that be possible? I didn't know people could have identical birthmarks. I'm going to have to do some research on this because it's bugging the hell out of me. I've known three sets of identical twins, and not even they had matching birthmarks. But, Jace and I sure as hell do. Not only are they a perfect replica of the other, down to the size, shape, and color, they are also in the exact same place. If that isn't just strange and a little creepy, I don't know what is. It's just plain weird! And truthfully, completely mind-boggling. That can't be karma. Not something like that, right? I mean, seriously, what would the purpose be behind that? It just makes no sense.

I look away from the current drawing, that I've been mindlessly working on, and back at the one that started this discovery, and actually focus on it. Looking to it for answers in a way. Crazy, right?

The star that's in front stands out the most, but what I hadn't noticed before is that, at the end of the swirling vortex that surrounds it and drifts off into the distance, is another star that is much smaller. And for some reason, I drew a peace symbol at the top left corner of the same page and a set of smiling lips on the top right. Beneath the stars and vortex, I've drawn a broken heart that has been stitched back together. I don't understand why I've drawn these things. And to add to the confusion, I sure as hell don't remember drawing them.

When I had first drawn this picture, early this morning after I ran out of possibilities on who it could've been that made that phone call, I was in a bad way. I just wanted to be sucked away from everything. To disappear. To go someplace where nobody knew me and be by myself. That's what the vortex meant to me at the time, now I'm not quite so sure. However, I don't understand what it could mean. I don't understand any of my drawing at all, and that's disturbing in itself. I try to shake off the feeling. I mean, it's not like this is the first time that I've drawn something and didn't understand what I meant by my drawing afterward. It's not even the first time involving my birthmark! Or even multiples of it.

The bell rings, pulling me from my thoughts, and I quickly close my sketchbook before hurrying out of the room. I don't need anything from my locker, seeing as I finished my history in study hall, and the only thing I would have gone back for is already in my hands. So with that in mind, I head down the stairs and out the side door to meet Izzy, who should be heading back from drama club.

Needless to say, I don't catch her in time. I _really_ don't want to go back in the building and take another chance of missing her, so I decide to head out to her car and wait for her there. I hope she's quick because I want to get as far away from here as possible. I don't want any more attention from anybody. Thank the heavens it's Friday, and people have a couple of days to forget about the spectacle I made of myself in the gym!

Once I reach the car, I sit on the hood and wait. I grow more impatient with every second, and every passerby that points in my direction while mumbling something to their friend or friends. _Come on, Iz!_ I mentally plead with her. _Hurry the hell up!_ A few minutes pass and they seem like an hour, yet still no Izzy. What could be taking her so damn long?

I lay back on the hood and close my eyes, trying to calm myself down. She's not taking any longer than usual, so I need to chill the hell out. I take a deep breath, and as I release it, that's when I feel it again. The feeling of being watched, of eyes burning into me.

I open my eyes and look around. The parking lot is clearing out, but no matter where I look, I don't see anyone looking at me, or even in my general direction. I sit up and look towards the school building, nobody again. I glance around my surroundings, _again_ , still nothing. What in the fucking hell is going on? Who is fucking watching me? And where the hell are they hiding? I really hate this! Watching over my shoulder.

Vaguely, I wonder if my father is behind this. Maybe he's decided that he hasn't tortured me enough. That he has decided that I'm not out of his life enough, and either wants me dead or committed to a mental hospital. Then I roll my eyes at the idea. I've stuck to his wishes, and have even gone beyond that by getting a job; so that I don't have to bother him, or I should say his secretary, about needing money, if I were to run out of my 'monthly allowance' that he has her transfer into my checking account each month. _What a dad_ , I think sarcastically. Paying his child, the only one he has left, to stay out of his life.

I feel a tap on my right shoulder blade, that pulls me from thoughts of the asshole and turn around to see Izzy holding her cheerleading uniform over her left arm. She looks worried and a little frustrated. I wonder what has her panties in a bunch, but I'm sure I'm going to find out.

"Why didn't you answer me?" she hisses.

I look at her perplexed. "I didn't know you did."

"Well, I did." she states, before turning all dramatic on me, "At least a hundred times."

I chuckle. "A hundred times, huh? I'm sure I would have heard you at least one of those times if you had."

"You know what I mean," she huffs. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah." I slide off the side of the hood and stand at the passenger door.

"It's already unlocked," she mutters as she rounds the driver's side. Boy, what is she so pissed about? She's never been this upset over me not hearing her.

I open the door, climb into the passenger seat, and wait for her to get in. Once she does and starts the car, I decide to see if she's going to tell me whether or not something else is wrong. When we are a block away from the school, I come to the conclusion that she isn't and decide to break the silence.

"What's wrong, Iz?' I ask sincerely concerned. Then I wonder if they were acting in drama class today, too, and she's just still stuck in her role. It's been known to happen before.

She audibly inhales and then blows the air out her mouth. "I have to be at Tiffany's at four thirty now, instead of six. We have to run through all the new cheer routines and some of the old ones as usual. But now, we also have to add coming up with a new dance performance for the football's senior night.

"Why?" I ask stupefied. There's nothing wrong with the one they have.

"Apparently, when Principal Penhallow watched the video, she said that it was too provocative," she explains, her voice mixed with exasperation and anger.

"That's ridiculous! It's mild compared to last years." I say, getting upset by the outlandish theory. I know this for a fact because I've seen both. "She's just pissed that Aline didn't get picked for either captain spots."

"I know," she sighs. "But it means that I won't be home tonight, because we're having a brainstorm sleepover after practice."

"Well, I have faith that you and Tiff can figure it out," I tell her truthfully. "You two weren't appointed captains for nothing."

"Thanks, Clare," she says sounding at peace, and smiles. "You always know what to say to cheer me up."

I smile at her, delighted that I could help her feel better. "You're welcome."

"You know what this means though, don't you?" she asks amusedly.

"Yeah, that I'm going to get to spend time spoiling Max. All. By. Myself." I laugh, feeling excited. I love that little monster! And I know, he'll help take my mind off everything that's been going on.

She laughs, too. "Just wait until Max hears about this."

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 **Sorry for the late update. I had thought that I posted it already, only to discover that my mommy brain was wrong. Lol. Fingers crossed that I'll have chapter ten up soon. (Summer break for kids means way less time for little else.)**

 **Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter.**

 **As always, don't forget to review, follow, and favorite. Mwah!**

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 **Also, for those that have left reviews about wanting me to continue, I promise you that I will finish this story (as well as High School Sweethearts 3)! I can not handle that they are currently unfinished. I'm just not sure as to when I'll have them both done. Slowly but surely, I suppose. I do want to send you all a special thank you though. Your reviews really mean a lot! They make me want to hide in the closet just so that I can try to get you another chapter. Haha.**


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